Framework analysis for vision scientists: a clear step-by-step guide

Vision sciences has traditionally been a quantitative discipline. However, to fully
capture all aspects of clinical vision care, researchers increasingly need to be
conversant in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. This has resulted in qualitative methodologies becoming more common in Vision Sciences research
literature. From the authors’ perspective, vision researchers often struggle to identify suitable qualitative methodologies when coming from a tradition of a realist ontology, or the view that independent truth exists. This study explores the ontological and epistemological considerations when approaching qualitative
research in vision sciences and proposes framework analysis as a qualitative
methodology that is accessible for vision scientists. Framework analysis is a flexible and highly utilitarian qualitative analysis method which complements quantitative methodologies. This paper also presents a step-by-step guide for conducting framework analysis in a logical, transparent, and repeatable way that will provide a clear audit trail of how results are obtained from subjective data. This is done using a worked example from a recent eye care study.