title: "Best fit" framework synthesis: refining the method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Following publication of the first worked example of the "best fit" method of evidence synthesis for the systematic review of qualitative evidence in this journal, the originators of the method identified a need to specify more fully some aspects of this particular derivative of framework synthesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We therefore present a second such worked example in which all techniques are defined and explained, and their appropriateness is assessed. Specified features of the method include the development of new techniques to identify theories in a systematic manner; the creation of an a priori framework for the synthesis; and the "testing" of the synthesis. An innovative combination of existing methods of quality assessment, analysis and synthesis is used to complete the process. This second worked example was a qualitative evidence synthesis of employees' views of workplace smoking cessation interventions, in which the "best fit" method was found to be practical and fit for purpose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The method is suited to producing context-specific conceptual models for describing or explaining the decision-making and health behaviours of patients and other groups. It offers a pragmatic means of conducting rapid qualitative evidence synthesis and generating programme theories relating to intervention effectiveness, which might be of relevance both to researchers and policy-makers.
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Decision Science, School of Health and Related Research, Regent Court, Regent Street, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK. c.carroll@shef.ac.uk
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leaviss
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rick
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking; D003657:Decision Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*