Data Extraction and Collation
We extracted two types of data from each included study: 1) study
characteristics and 2) study results relevant to the research question.
Descriptive data about the study and participant characteristics was
extracted into a standardized electronic form. This data was used for
comparative and contextualization purposes during analysis.
Strategies for data analysis of studies in an integrative review are one
of the least developed aspects of the process, because analysis is a
highly interpretive process where analysts must be attuned to the
particular range of data available in each individual study47, 48. We used Sandelowski’s method of
“qualitizing” data by identifying and extracting findings and then
transforming each finding into a portable declarative statement that is
understandable on its own 41, 48. These declarative
statements are constructed to integrate findings with information about
the study deemed most relevant to characterizing those findings (e.g.,
population, jurisdiction). The declarative statements were composed by
one reviewer and verified by another (JP, AP, ST, MV) and recorded on a
data extraction sheet for the individual study.