Lessons Learned for Novice Researcher from a Qualitative Study of a Case on Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis

The objective of this article is to discuss the lessons learned when novice researchers conduct a qualitative pilot study in healthcare involving patients at the end-stage of a renal disease who particularly use continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis therapy.

A qualitative pilot study was applied and semi-structured in-depth interview with participants was conducted.

There are six lessons obtained from the pilot study. They include obtaining adequate knowledge of the research topic, recruiting the participants, choosing an appropriate data collection, building and gaining rapport with the patients, choosing the structure of interviews, as well as putting the questions in order and revising the questions. Some helpful approaches for novice researchers to consider include attending healthcare events, applying a qualitative study, and conducting individual interviews.

Some lessons learned and insights are derived from conducting a qualitative pilot study which is useful for novice researchers to assess the feasibility of a planned or main study.