Can Qualitative Data Speak Beyond the Individual Case? Employing Meta-Ethnography for the Synthesis of Findings in Transnational Research Projects

This introductory chapter outlines a novel application of meta-ethnographic synthesis in the analysis of large qualitative data sets generated for the MYPLACE project. Although meta-ethnography is used increasingly as an alternative to systematic review for the synthesis of published qualitative studies, to date it has not been applied to the synthesis of primary data. This chapter suggests such a use is not precluded epistemologically and potentially addresses a growing need as qualitative researchers increasingly engage in transnational, multi-sited projects. The chapter outlines the practical process of adapting meta-ethnography to primary data analysis as undertaken in the MYPLACE project. It discusses the potential, challenges and limitations of the approach, and suggests measures for avoiding the loss of individual differentiation in qualitative data in the process of extracting the general from the specific.