Methods of concept analysis - a comparative study

Abstract

This article is the first one in a series of three articles, which focus on methods of concept analysis and discuss how terminological concept analysis methods could be developed as more generally applicable research methods. In this first article, terminological methods are contrasted with selected concept analysis methods utilized in business studies and nursing science. On the basis of the comparison, the second article to be published will outline a systematic concept analysis method, which can be utilized as a research method in its own right or as a part of any other type of study. The third article will describe concept analysis tools usable for systematic concept analysis in more detail.