Qualitative Research Part 3: Publication

The first two papers in this series on qualitative research for mental health nursing explored the basics of qualitative research—methodologies and methods. This paper will explore how your research can be transformed into a publication. There is an art in reducing that work into a succinct research paper. If the research has been conducted rigorously and follows through on the previous paper's strategies for staying true to the research question the development of a paper is relatively straightforward. However, it is important to follow the research methodology and method meticulously. This paper will work through the sections required for a published research paper concluding with a summary of the key points that will improve your chances of the paper being accepted by a journal.

‘Salami slicing’ is another area that must be considered. It may be tempting to divide the original research into multiple papers. While it is possible to do so, certain conditions must be fulfilled. ‘Salami slicing’ is the term given to the practice of attempting to publish multiple papers from one study. This may be appropriate if each paper has a separate aim but generally speaking ‘salami slicing’ is regarded as a publication transgression, carrying connotations of inappropriate practice (Jackson et al. 2014). The problem with ‘salami slicing’ is that it skews the evidence base so each publication must have a discrete aim.

The purpose of the introduction/background is to develop the aim of the study by building a rationale for why it is needed. Mental health nursing research papers need to develop a rationale for why the study is needed in mental health nursing practice. The rationale may identify gaps in the literature but any literature that is used needs to be directly related to supporting the aim of the study. It should address the international significance of the topic and must address its national significance. Following a systematic development of the rationale for the study, this section finishes with a clearly stated aim/research question. The purpose of this section of the paper is to build a robust justification for the need to conduct this research and the methodology used. As a rule of thumb, it is usually expected that any paper developed from the qualitative findings needs to have an aim that differentiates that paper from others that may be produced.

It is important to identify the current clinical issue and the context of this issue from a mental health nursing perspective. It will focus on what is currently happening in practice or the lived experience of that practice from the patient's perspective. The overall goal is to improve practice and the lived experience of those for whom nurses provide care. The paper should demonstrate an in-depth understanding of what is involved in that practice. Papers focussing on the experience of mental distress or particular mental health nursing practices may come from a variety of disciplines but must avoid advising nurses on nursing care.

The background/introduction concludes with the research aim or question. This should follow from a methodical development of the rationale for the study drawing on literature from a range of disciplines or contexts. The research needs to contribute to new knowledge, so it is important to identify gaps in the literature in the background/introduction. As described in Part 1 of this series the research question needs to be the pivot around which the research is presented. It encapsulates the object of the research inquiry and facilitates the research process.

The data collection will generate large amounts of data but in analysing the data you need to consolidate them into themes relevant to the research question. A 1-h interview usually generates about 30 pages of transcript (Table 2).

The findings section should start with anonymised demographic details e.g., gender, age, ethnicity, years since diagnosis, and other demographic factors relevant to the research question. Each participant should be given a unique identifier to ensure that the reporting captures the full range of responses. This should be followed by the reporting of the themes identified in the data analysis.

Each theme needs to directly relate to the research question. A theme is not a series of responses to the interview prompts but reflects both the methodological orientation and an interpretation of the data based on the aim of the study. The themes provide answers to the research question. In reporting each theme it needs to be defined, described and then illustrated with quotes transcribed from the interview. The use of quotes is to provide sufficient evidence to support the theme and each quote should reflect a particular aspect of the theme.

The quotes are included as an illustration of a broader theme in the data. They should never be run together as a list but rather there needs to be a discussion of the aspect of the theme that the quote illustrates. Each quote needs to be associated with the participant's identifier and is usually indented in the text and presented in italics. In reporting each theme there needs to be first an overview of the theme and then a summary of its essence and characteristics at the end.

The discussion should begin with a synthesis of the findings. One strategy for developing the synthesis is to copy the summaries of each theme and ask yourself what this means. How do the themes relate to each other? A thematic map allows the reader to follow these relationships. The discussion is primarily focussed on this synthesis that is, what the findings mean rather than an emphasis on each theme. This synthesis is the focus of the subsequent discussion set within the existing literature. Individual themes may be discussed in terms of how they contribute to the overall meaning of the findings, their relevance and implications for mental health nursing practice and people with lived experience. The report of the findings requires the integration of a search of the literature related to the synthesis and a discussion of the similarities and differences of these findings to other literature. This is likely to require a new search of the literature and should not rely on the literature in the background which is designed to provide a rationale. Implications for mental health nursing practice need to be specific and demonstrate a strong familiarity with the context within which it takes place.

The discussion highlights the new knowledge identified in the study and its implications for mental health nursing within an international context. There needs to be a discussion of how this knowledge may improve practice and the experiences of those with lived experience. The limitations and strengths of the research should be addressed in the discussion. These should highlight those aspects of the research that may be applicable, or not, to other clinical areas.

Before commencing the write-up of the publication you need to check that the Journal to which you intend to submit the paper accepts qualitative research papers. If the Journal is qualitative research-friendly it will identify the reporting guidelines required for publication. The Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing recommends using the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/srqr/.

The final question, and perhaps most important, is what does this research mean for mental health nursing or those with lived experience? Any research published by mental health nurses must address the relevance and implications for those to whom they provide care.