Citation

Burke JG, O'Campo PJ, Peak GL, Gielen AC, McDonnell KA, Trochim WM. Qual. Health Res. 2005; 15(10): 1392-1410.

Affiliation

Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pennsylvania, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1049732305278876

PMID

16263919

Abstract

In this article, the authors introduce concept mapping as a useful participatory research method for public health researchers interested in generating hypotheses and developing theory. The authors first provide an overview of concept mapping, which combines qualitative approaches with quantitative analytical tools to produce visual displays of the relationship between ideas. Then, they present an illustrative research application of the method to the exploration of women's perceptions of the relationship between residential neighborhood factors and intimate partner violence experiences. They give attention to the data collection and analysis procedures and to demonstrating the intricacies of using concept mapping for public health research purposes. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of the unique contributions and challenges associated with concept mapping.

Language: en