Documentary Analysis Within a Realist Evaluation
Recommendations From a Study of Sexual Assault Referral Centres
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2411109 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Holly Price (0000-0001-7806-1477), Jill Domoney (0000-0001-8157-621X), Steven Ari (0000-0002-5557-4613), Elizabeth Hughes (0000-0001-9439-7034), Kylee Trevillion (0000-0001-5865-4726) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Publication date | 2021-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Qualitative Methods (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1609-4069 • E-ISSN: 1609-4069 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/16094069211047818 |
| OpenAlex | W3207443142 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 35 |
Realist approaches are increasingly used in studies of complex health interventions/evaluations to understand how programmes work, for whom and under what circumstances. Mixed-method data sources can be used to generate, refine and test realist programme theories, which explore causal links about the contexts that affect the mechanisms of an intervention and lead to the production of different outcomes. The realist approach provides a framework for a detailed understanding of how a programme functions, aiding with the implementation, refinement or adaptation of interventions. Documentary analysis provides an overview of the theoretical and practical functioning of a service and the ways it is structured to provide interventions. Data are often collected early in the evaluation and can include service specifications, organisational policies and procedures and routine audit data. This paper describes a two-stage process of documentary analysis, where data extraction forms and journey maps are used to explore how Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in England respond to the mental health and substance use needs of users. Using documentary analysis as part of a sequential data collection process can be valuable in informing subsequent data sources (e.g qualitative interview schedules can be used to further test and refine theories from a documentary analysis). Considerations for researchers in applying documentary analysis include the value of keeping initial searches broad, to capture documents from a range of sources; the need for clarity about the prioritisation of data sources in the selection process; the benefit in establishing a standardised extraction form that incorporates the wider context within which the intervention functions; taking steps to ensure face validity and transferability during interpretation of data sources; the benefits of transforming information from the data extraction form into a visual journey map
Audit · CLARITY · Context (archaeology · Data collection · Data extraction · MEDLINE · Political science · Psychological intervention · Referral · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Health Policy Implementation Science · Medicine · Nursing · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Psychology · Applied Psychology
Integrating Analyses in Mixed Methods Research
The Science of Evaluation
Evidence-based Policy
Interpretation in policy analysis
The concept of mechanism from a realist approach
Realist review - a new method of systematic review designed for complex policy interventions
Realist Synthesis for Public Health
A paradigm shift
A realist evaluation of social prescribing
Rameses II reporting standards for realist evaluations
Developing and evaluating complex interventions
A realist evaluation of community-based participatory research
Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method
Document analysis in health policy research
Comparative analysis of health policy implementation
What are the components of complex interventions in healthcare? Theorizing approaches to parts, powers and the whole intervention
Data Analysis and Synthesis Within a Realist Evaluation
Revisiting Bias in Qualitative Research
Building Realist Program Theory for Large Complex and Messy Interventions
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |