Systematic reviews of interpretive research: interpretive data synthesis of processed data.

This paper discusses the synthesis of qualitative data during the systematic review of interpretive research. Current approaches to data synthesis can be broadly classified as either descriptive or interpretive. Descriptive data synthesis is achieved through narrative and tabulation. While a number of different terms have been used, interpretive synthesis is achieved through processes similar to those used by primary interpretive researchers. However, there has been only limited professional discussion and debate of this issue and existing methods are in need of further investigation and the validity and usefulness of the product of this synthesis examined.