In the course of our supervisory work over the years, we have noticed that qualitative research tends to evoke a lot of questions and worries, so-called frequently asked questions (FAQs). This series of four articles intends to provide novice researchers with practical guidance for conducting high-quality qualitative research in primary care. By ‘novice’ we mean Master’s students and junior researchers, as well as experienced quantitative researchers who are engaging in qualitative research for the first time. This series addresses their questions and provides researchers, readers, reviewers and editors with references to criteria and tools for judging the quality of qualitative research papers. The second article focused on context, research questions and designs, and referred to publications for further reading. This third article addresses FAQs about sampling, data collection and analysis. The data collection plan needs to be broadly defined and open at first, and become flexible during data collection. Sampling strategies should be chosen in such a way that they yield rich information and are consistent with the methodological approach used. Data saturation determines sample size and will be different for each study. The most commonly used data collection methods are participant observation, face-to-face in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Analyses in ethnographic, phenomenological, grounded theory, and content analysis studies yield different narrative findings: a detailed description of a culture, the essence of the lived experience, a theory, and a descriptive summary, respectively. The fourth and final article will focus on trustworthiness and publishing qualitative research.
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Background: A paradigm shift in health care from illness to wellbeing requires new assessment technologies and intervention strategies. Self-monitoring tools based on the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) might provide a solution. They enable patients to monitor both vulnerability and resilience in daily life. Although ESM solutions are extensively used in research, a translation from science into daily clinical practice is needed. Objective: To investigate the redesign process of an existing platform for ESM data collection for detailed functional analysis and disease management used by psychological assistants to the general practitioner (PAGPs) in family medicine. Methods: The experience-sampling platform was reconceptualized according to the design thinking framework in three phases. PAGPs were closely involved in co-creation sessions. In the ‘understand’ phase, knowledge about end-users’ characteristics and current eHealth use was collected (nominal group technique – 2 sessions with N = 15). In the ‘explore’ phase, the key needs concerning the platform content and functionalities were evaluated and prioritized (empathy mapping – 1 session with N = 5, moderated user testing – 1 session with N = 4). In the ‘materialize’ phase, the adjusted version of the platform was tested in daily clinical practice (4 months with N = 4). The whole process was extensively logged, analyzed using content analysis, and discussed with an interprofessional project group. Results: In the ‘understand’ phase, PAGPs emphasized the variability in symptoms reported by patients. Therefore, moment-to-moment assessment of mood and behavior in a daily life context could be valuable. In the ‘explore’ phase, (motivational) functionalities, technological performance and instructions turned out to be important user requirements and could be improved. In the ‘materialize’ phase, PAGPs encountered barriers to implement the experience-sampling platform. They were insufficiently facilitated by the regional primary care group and general practitioners. Conclusion: The redesign process in co-creation yielded meaningful insights into the needs, desires and daily routines in family medicine. Severe barriers were encountered related to the use and uptake of the experience-sampling platform in settings where health care professionals lack the time, knowledge and skills. Future research should focus on the applicability of this platform in family medicine and incorporate patient experiences.
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Thank you for sharing this story! However, please do so in a way that respects the copyright of this text. If you want to share or reproduce this full text, please ask permission from Innovation Origins (partners@innovationorigins.com) or become a partner of ours! You are of course free to quote this story with source citation. Would you like to share this article in another way? Then use this link to the article: https://innovationorigins.com/en/silicon-sampling-ai-powered-personas-offer-new-insights-for-market-research-but-have-limitations/ n the rapidly evolving field of marketing and communication, staying ahead means embracing technological innovations. The latest breakthrough, silicon sampling, leverages AI to revolutionize market research by creating synthetic personas that mimic human responses. This method, which utilizes large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4o, offers a cost-efficient and less time-consuming alternative to traditional market research. Roberta Vaznyte and Marieke van Vliet (Fontys University of Applied Science) have explored the promise and challenges of silicon sampling, highlighting key findings from recent experiments and the implications for the future of market research.
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Nederland is een dynamische migratiesamenleving geworden, waar actief beleid vereist is om de aanpassing van immigranten in de Nederlandse samenleving te vergemakkelijken. Traditioneel bevordert journalistiek gedeeld begrip onder burgers, wat cruciaal is voor culturele aanpassing. Dit promotieonderzoek beoogt daarom inzicht te krijgen in hoe immigranten nieuws consumeren en welke effecten nieuwsconsumptie heeft op acculturatie.
As climate change accelerates, rising sea levels pose challenges for low-lying nations like the Netherlands. Floating developments (such as homes, solar parks, and pavilions) are considered the most climate adaptative solution for the future, but the effects on the environment are unknown which is holding back this floating transformation. Since public and private partners are not able to answer questions on the effect of floating urbanisation on the environment and water quality based on speculations by models without field data, permits are given only after proof that ecological & water quality will not affected (also EU warnings ‘deteriorating’ water quality (UvW 2025, EU 2025). This proposal aims to develop an innovative autonomous docking station for aquatic drones, enhancing environmental monitoring of floating structures. Only a few monitoring campaigns measured the impact of small floating structures (small structures and only basic parameters). Traditional monitoring methods rely on manual sampling and static sensors, which are costly, labour-intensive, and provide delayed results. A new study, led by Hanze with Gemeente Rotterdam, Waternet (Gemeente Amsterdam) and Indymo, will assess the impact of new large-scale floating developments with a new method. Autonomous aquatic drones improve data resolution but face operational challenges such as battery life and data retrieval. An innovating docking station will address these issues by enabling drones to recharge, offload data, and perform continuous missions without human intervention. Advanced tools—including aquatic drones, 360-degree cameras, sonar imaging, and real-time sensors—will collect high-resolution environmental data also monitoring biodiversity and bathymetry. The proposed docking station will support real-time sensor networks, allowing for spatial and temporal data collection. It will improve the (cost) efficiency and quality of long-term environmental monitoring, providing insights into water quality dynamics and underwater ecosystems in Rotterdam and Amsterdam as an international example of floating development in the battle of climate change.
Nano and micro polymeric particles (NMPs) are a point of concern by environmentalists and toxicologist for the past years. Their presence has been detected in many environmental bodies and even in more recently human blood as well. One of the most common paths these particles take to enter living organisms is via water consumption. However, despite the efforts of different academic and other knowledge groups, there is no consensus about standards methods which can be used to qualifying and quantifying these particles, especially the submicrometric ones. Many different techniques have been proposed like field flow fractionation (FFF) followed by multi angle laser scattering (MALS), pyrolysis-GC and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, the sampling collection and preparation is also considered a difficult step, as such particles are mostly present in very low concentration. Nanocatcher proposes the use of submerged drones as a sampling collection tool to monitor the presence of submicrometric polymeric particles in water bodies. The sample collections will be done using special membrane systems specially designed for the drone. After collected, the samples will be analysed using FFF+MALS, SEM and Py-GC. If proven successful, the use of submerged drones can strongly facilitate sampling and mapping of submicrometric polymeric particles in water bodies and will provide an extensive and comprehensive map of the presence of these particles in such environment.
