Stage of the analysis and synthesis | Activities | Analytical process | Use of candidate theories |
---|---|---|---|
Evidence drawn from each primary study | Identification of the link between context, mechanism and outcomes Specification of CMO(s) configuration | Mix of abductive and retroductive reasoning Constant comparative analysis | To guide the analytical process |
Synthesis of data within or across primary studies | Identification of potential explanatory patterns | Juxtaposition, reconciling, adjudication, consolidation of sources of evidence Situating sources of evidences | To explain at a higher level the explanatory patterns that emerged across the studies |