Developing a Data Note reporting guideline for qualitative health and social care research datasets (the DeNOTE study): A study protocol

BackgroundData Note articles provide concise descriptions of research datasets, detailing how and why the data were created and facilitating reuse of the data. Additionally, Data Notes are typically believed to have the added value of increasing research transparency and making the data comply with the FAIR principles (i.e., Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). However, existing guidelines and templates for Data Note articles are designed for quantitative research datasets and there are no equivalents for qualitative research datasets. AimTo develop a novel reporting guideline for Data Note articles describing qualitative health and social care datasets (i.e., the DeNOTE reporting guideline). MethodsOur plans to develop the DeNOTE reporting guideline have been registered on the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network. In summary, the DeNOTE study consists of (a) a rapid scoping exercise of existing literature, resources, and expert knowledge to identify and synthesise items or statements of a reporting guideline that are relevant to a Data Note article describing qualitative health and social care data, (b) an online questionnaire with expert participants to rate their agreement with items identified in (a) and to propose new or amended items, (c) an online workshop with participants to further co-develop the reporting items, with the aim to reach consensus on the items, (d) eliciting feedback from participants on the draft reporting guideline, and (e) finalising the DeNOTE reporting guideline. ConclusionOur goal is to produce a novel reporting guideline to support researchers when producing a Data Note article describing qualitative health and social care research data. In the process, we will produce tailored open research infrastructure to better support qualitative researchers engaging in open research practices.