An Exploration of Pharmacy Education Researchers' Perceptions and Experiences Conducting Qualitative Research.

Objective. To investigate pharmacy education researchers' experiences in conducting qualitative research and their perceptions of qualitative research in pharmacy education Methods. A phenomenological approach was used to conduct one-time, in-depth interviews with 19 participants from 12 schools and colleges of pharmacy. Interview transcripts were coded and themes were identified using a modified form of the Sort and Sift, Think and Shift method of data analysis. Results. Faculty members were the largest subgroup in the sample, followed by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows/scholars, and residents. Pharmacy education researchers had varying levels of training in conducting qualitative research and some had none at all. Salient findings included that pharmacy educators' lack of training and exposure to qualitative research was a barrier to entry to conducting qualitative research; the lack of understanding and value of qualitative research in pharmacy education impacts the acceptability of qualitative research projects in Journals and academic meetings; and qualitative research offers several benefits in answering complex research questions. Conclusion. The application of rigorous qualitative research in pharmacy education holds great potential in addressing complex and evolving healthcare problems. This work provides empirical evidence of the ongoing anecdotal dialogue that has long existed in pharmacy education concerning why some researchers are hesitant to conduct qualitative research, the challenges encountered by those who employ qualitative approaches, and the benefits qualitative approaches provide.

Conducting and presenting qualitative research in pharmacy education.

SITUATION: The evolution of practices in healthcare and the content and delivery of pharmacy education have generated new challenges for practitioners and academicians. Fittingly, pharmacy education research in the academic setting has grown rapidly to provide innovative solutions to these challenges. One approach for addressing these challenges includes the collection and analysis of qualitative research (QR). Though a useful methodological tool, many pharmacy educators are not trained to appropriately conduct QR and present the findings of their work. METHODOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW: QR offers many advantages for pharmacy education researchers. However, prior to delving into QR projects it is important to understand the key distinctions of the approach, role of the researcher, and the significance of situating the study so that the research question, data collection techniques, and analysis procedures are aligned. RECOMMENDATIONS: We provide recommendations for several key components for conducting QR, articulating the process, and presenting and contextualizing the findings. IMPLICATIONS: This article serves as a primer on QR methods, offering relevant background information, ways to apply this approach in pharmacy education research, and recommendations for presenting qualitative findings. Employing rigorous qualitative approaches in pharmacy education and appropriately presenting the procedures and findings will increase the visibility of QR and provide an opportunity for scholars to become familiar with the approach.