I'm carrying out a qualitative systematic review on the barriers to screening uptake. Following my search and screening for primary studies to be included, I ended up with 5 primary studies. 3 of these studies stated that they used quantitative cross-sectional study designs, however after reading these three studies, I have realized that they provide qualitative evidence, that is, they discuss experiences and barriers to screening which is relevant to my review. Given that my review is qualitative, can I use the qualitative data from these quantitative studies, provided I state this in my selection criteria?
Yes, you can include qualitative data extracted from quantitative studies in your qualitative systematic review, if the data is suitable. Be methodologically transparent, assess quality, and clarify how that data fits your overall research question.
Yes, you can use the qualitative data from those quantitative studies. In your inclusion criteria, state that you’ll include studies with qualitative insights, even if the overall design is quantitative.
In your review, explain your approach clearly, such as: "Although three studies were quantitative, they provided qualitative data on barriers to screening, which was extracted for this review."
This ensures clarity and transparency in your methodology.
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