Stage | Detail | Key considerations |
---|---|---|
1. Select and specify the target behaviour/s | Use documentary analysis or empirical research to identify and specify who should do what differently, to increase the uptake of evidence-based practice | May require assessment of the feasibility of measuring the behaviour as an outcome variable |
2. Select the study design | May involve semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, questionnaires, structured observations, documentary analysis or consensus processes | Design should fit the research question and will depend on the stage of investigation through exploration and development to intervention and explanation |
3. Develop study materials | Although materials from previous studies may be used as templates, materials should be adapted to be appropriate to the specified behaviour/s and context | Requires in-depth understanding of the theoretical content of each domain Requires pilot testing for comprehensibility and clinical sensibility |
4. Decide the sampling strategy | For exploratory studies, a maximum variation approach is appropriate | Key participants are those who will, or should, perform the target behaviour but other stakeholders (e.g. managers, co-workers) may also contribute a valuable perspective |
5. Collect the data | Published studies have used audio-recorded interviews (face-to-face or telephone; one-to-one or focus group) or questionnaires (paper-based or online) | Effective interviewing requires standard interviewer competencies and in-depth understanding of the theoretical content of each domain |
6. Analyse the data | The objective is to identify the domains that are most relevant to the implementation problem being addressed and to populate those domains with context-relevant and behaviourally specific content | Coding in qualitative studies requires in-depth understanding of the theoretical content of each domain |
7. Report findings | For interview studies, report presents tables that include illustrative quotations, specific beliefs identified (with frequencies, if appropriate) and classification into domains | The explanatory text relating to the table of course relates to the study objectives |