Is the identified research tradition (if any) congruent with the methods used to collect and analyse data?
Phenomenology is congruent with the methods used to collect and analyse data as this tradition is concerned with exploring the life experiences of people and what they mean to the person, so the data collection methods (semi-structured interviews: implementing a narrative method) and data analysis methods (qualitative content analysis to identify categories and create themes that describe the patient’s experiences) used within this research are appropriate (Russell & Gregory 2003, p.36; Polit & Beck 2006, p.54). Was an adequate amount of time spent in the field or with study participants? Were there an adequate number of contacts with study participants? The time spent in the field was not identified in this article, nor was it identified if the participants were interviewed more than once. Other qualitative research articles such as, Walton (2002), clearly identified these factors, providing a more credible assessment for the reader to acknowledge occurrence of saturation and rigour.
