title: Evaluating the level of evidence of qualitative research.
abstract: Guidelines for evaluating the levels of evidence based on quantitative research are well established. However, the same cannot be said for the evaluation of qualitative research. This article discusses a process members of an evidence-based clinical practice guideline development team with the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses used to create a scoring system to determine the strength of qualitative research evidence. A brief history of evidence-based clinical practice guideline development is provided, followed by discussion of the development of the Nursing Management of the Second Stage of Labor evidence-based clinical practice guideline. The development of the qualitative scoring system is explicated, and implications for nursing are proposed.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, USA. SCesario@twu.edu
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cesario
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santa-Donato
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D009773:Obstetric Nursing; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014481:United States