ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a detailed presentation of the procedure, illustrated by a practical example in which meta-ethnography has been applied. Meta-ethnography is the method which established the point of departure for qualitative metasynthesis and remains its most commonly used approach. The method was presented with a detailed description of principles, procedures and concepts, along with an emphasis on certain fundamental principles from the philosophy of science. George W. Noblit and R. Dwight Hare emphasize that meta-ethnography is an inductive method belonging to the interpretative paradigm, that its synthesis implies interpretation rather than merely description and that context is an essential precondition for understanding. Thematic synthesis is based on meta-ethnography, buttressed by Grounded theory. J. Sibeoni et al. used Thematic synthesis for a comparison and synthesis of the research literature about experiences of anorexia among adolescents, their families and health care professionals.
