Secondary analysis of qualitative data: a valuable method for exploring sensitive issues with an elusive population?

Long-Sutehall, Tracy
Sque, Magi
Addington-Hall, Julia

¹Senior Research Fellow (Faculty of Health Sciences), University of Southampton, UK
²Professor in Clinical Practice and Innovation, School of Health and Wellbeing and the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Hospitals Trust, UK
³Professor in End of Life Care, University of Southampton, and Co-Director of the NCRI-funded Cancer Experiences’ Supportive and Palliative Care Research Collaborative (CECo) (Faculty of Health Sciences), University of Southampton, UK

Dr Tracy Long-Sutehall (PhD, C.Psychol) is a Senior Research Fellow/NIHR Post Doc Fellow. Her qualifications are as follows: 1994, BSc (Hons), University of Hertfordshire; 1998, MSc, University College London; 2007, PhD, University of Southampton.

Professor Magi Sque (PhD RN) is a Professor in Clinical Practice and Innovation. Her qualifications are as follows: 1985, BSc (Hons), University of Surrey; 1996, PhD, University of Southampton.

Professor Julia Addington-Hall (PhD) is a Professor in End of Life Care at the University of Southampton and Co-Director of the NCRI-funded ‘Cancer Experiences’ Supportive and Palliative Care Research Collaborative (CECo). Her qualifications are as follows: 1989, PhD, University of Durham; 1981, BA (Hons) Psychology, University of Durham.

Corresponding author: Tracy Long-Sutehall, PhD, C.Psychol, Senior Research Fellow, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfied, Southampton SO 17 IBJ, UK

Email: [email protected]

All authors are members of the Cancer, Palliative and End-of-Life research group at the University of Southampton, carrying out research linked to these areas. Specifically, Tracy Long-Sutehall and Magi Sque lead on research exploring issues linked to organ and tissue donation: decision making, attitudes, beliefs and experiences of both family members and health care professionals; Julia Addington Hall researches many aspects of Palliative Care: symptom control, interventions to support long-term care and experiences of cancer patients and their carers.

Journal of Research in Nursing 16(4):p 335-344, July 2011. | DOI: 10.1177/1744987110381553

Abstract

This paper aims to demonstrate the process of conducting a secondary analysis of primary qualitative datasets. Whilst there is a well-established tradition of carrying out a secondary analysis of quantitative datasets within social and health research, this has not been the case with qualitative datasets. Despite a recent growth in interest in the secondary analysis of qualitative data, very little information is available regarding the process, as publications tend to focus on the outcomes of analyses.

A secondary analysis of 28 transcripts, sorted from two primary datasets containing longitudinal and cross-sectional interview data, was carried out.

The choice of applying a secondary analysis fulfilled the aims of: (i) addressing a sensitive area of research; and (ii) accessing a research population that was elusive, factors that may be barriers to carrying out research in areas that are considered to be of a sensitive nature, or topic. Secondary analysis has potentially important implications for qualitative researchers who seek to investigate sensitive topics within health, not least of which is the opportunity it offers to facilitate the training of researchers at all levels.