Introduction to Qualitative Evidence Synthesis as a Methodology

The outbreak of COVID-19 has disrupted research methods just as it had to all other sectors of education across the globe. Many institutions and organisations, including researchers sought to find ways to deal with research while observing the requirement for remote interactions. While many options have been implemented, the use of systematic reviews, and in particular, Qualitative Evidence Synthesis (QES) have not been explored. QES, as a research method, offers a high level of evidence through the synthesis of primary qualitative studies, using established and endorsed critical appraisal methods such as PRISMA Workflow charts or COREQ, CASP (the latter is commonly used in QES), and many more that are suitable based on the nature of the study design. The other beneficial quality of QES is the ability to preserve research, use and embellish primary research and provide formidable networks among researchers. This presentation was first presented at a workshop organized by the National Center for Research Methods and the University of Manchester (UK) in October 2021 and later on at the 6th World Conference on Qualitative Research (Spain) in January 2022.