Background All studies need to integrate their findings back into the literature to explain how the new knowledge changes understanding. This process can be anxiety-provoking, especially when new literature appears to threaten the originality of the study.

Aim To reintroduce ‘concurrent analysis’ (CA) – a method of synthesising relevant literature with primary data.

Discussion CA treats all data as primary data. To illustrate the technique, the authors synthesise relevant literature with findings from a doctoral study of patients’ experiences of vascular access devices.

Conclusion CA raised new questions that would otherwise have remained unasked. For example, it revealed cultural differences in the way patients react to suboptimal treatment.

Implications for practice Nurse researchers are best placed to influence policy and practice when they can articulate the transferability of their findings. CA is a practical method of achieving this.