This list was contributed and updated by Claire Stansfield, Information Scientist at the EPPI Centre London, UK. It is an adaptation from an article:

Finding qualitative research: an evaluation of search strategies.

Rachel L Shaw1*, Andrew Booth2, Alex J Sutton1, Tina Miller3, Jonathan A Smith4, Bridget Young5, David R Jones1 and Mary Dixon-Woods1 2004

Modified version –December 2014

Title/abstract fields (EBSCO host format): (ethnolog* OR stories OR "content analys*" OR "ethnographic*" OR "observational method*" OR "participant observation*" OR "field notes" OR Experience? OR narrative? OR discourse? OR "repertory grid" OR "process evaluation*" OR "in-depth" OR "service need?" OR descriptive OR "feelings" OR ethnopsychology OR "focus groups" OR "behavioral research" OR "behavioural research" OR "narration" OR "satisfaction" OR "dissatisfaction" OR "meanings" OR "meaning" OR "perspectives" OR "perspective" OR "perceived" OR "perceives" OR "perceive" OR "perceptions" OR "perception" OR "views" OR "view" OR "qualitative" OR "interviewed" OR "interviewing" OR "interviewer" OR "interviews" OR "interview" OR "comprehension" OR "case studies" OR "case study" OR "opinions" OR "opinion" OR "expectations" OR "expectation" OR "thoughts" OR "narratives" OR "standpoint" OR "standpoints" OR "viewpoints" OR "viewpoint" OR "audio record*" OR lifeworld* OR audiorecord* OR "thematic analysis" OR "phenomenol*" OR "grounded theory" OR "grounded studies" OR "grounded research" OR "purposive sampling" OR "constant comparative" OR "constant comparison" OR "purposive sample" OR "field study" OR "field studies" OR "field research" OR "biographical method" OR "theoretical sampl*" OR "open-ended" OR "open ended" OR "life world*" OR "life-world*" OR "conversation analysis" OR "conversation analyses" OR "theoretical saturation" OR "thematic analys*")

MESH terms (EBSCOhost)

"Purposive Sample"/ OR "Ethnology"/ OR "Ethnological Research"/ OR "Grounded Theory"/ OR "Needs Assessment"/ OR "Phenomenological Research"/ OR exp "Survey Research"/ OR "Field Studies"/ OR "Descriptive Research"/ OR "Behavioral Research"/ OR "Focus Groups"/ OR "Interviews+"/ OR "Narratives"/ OR "Surveys"/ OR "Videorecording"/ OR "Discourse Analysis"/ OR "Thematic Analysis"/ OR "Semantic Analysis"/ OR "Constant Comparative Method"/ OR "Content Analysis"/ OR "Audiorecording"/ OR "Participant Observation"/ OR exp "Observational Methods"/ OR exp "Qualitative Studies"/