Reliability and validity in qualitative research

Question 1

Why are different methods needed to assess rigour in qualitative research?

Answer 1

The different methods (qual &quant) differ in the way they understand their object of study and in their methodological focus.
• Qualitative criteria to assess rigour developed from the
quantitative criteria

Question 2

What is rigour?

Answer 2

• Term used to denote reliability and validity/trustworthiness in research
• Rigour reflects quality assessments of research
• appropriateness of the methodological method for qualitative

Question 3

What is the difference between validity, reliability and trustworthiness?

Answer 3

• Validity, reliability, generalisability = constructs to assess quality in quantitative research
• Trustworthiness used to assess the quality of qualitative
research

Question 4

Explain validity

Answer 4

The extent to which research does what it intends to
• Does it answer the research question?
• Are the findings accurate and reflective of the data?
• Do the findings reflect reality – have you measured
what you say you’re measuring?

Question 5

Explain reliability

Answer 5

The extent to which the findings of research can be
replicated:
• Are the results from the research consistent over time?
• Would you get the same results if a different researcher did the research?
• Would you get the same results if you asked different questions about the same construct?

Question 6

What is generalisability?

Answer 6

The extent to which the findings can be applied to the
broader population / different contexts
• Do the findings apply to those outside of the research
population?
• Are the finding s relevant to and representative of those who share similar characteristics to the research participants /settings?

Question 7

What are the issues with quantitative constructs in qualitative research?

Answer 7

• The researcher influences the production of knowledge (qual research is not ‘objective’)
• Interest in context and ideographic accounts (qual research is not ‘generalisable’ or ‘reliable’)
• Flexible approaches to data collection (qual research is not standardised)

Question 8

What are the aims of trustworthiness in qualitative?

Answer 8

• To have a way of testing validity and reliability of the data
• To ensure researcher views don’t influence the findings
• To ensure the data represents the participants relaity

Question 9

What are the methods to achieve trustworthiness of qualitative research?

Answer 9

Credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability

Question 10

What is credibility?

Answer 10

• Developed from validity to ensure findings and interpretations make sense and believale

Question 11

What methods are there to ensure credibility?

Answer 11

• member checking
• Peer review
• Inter-coder reliability
• Triangulation
• Negative case analysis
• Prolonged time in the fields

Question 12

Explain the credibility checks of member checking, Peer review, Inter-coder reliability

Answer 12

• Member checking/participant validation

• Allow participants opportunity to review their responses and your interpretation of them.
• Some issues-participant views may change over time and time consuming

• Peer debriefing / peer review
- Another researcher reviews the data and analyse them independently

• Inter-rater / inter -coder reliability
- Independent researcher codes the data – checks their codes in relation to the researchers-reduces bias

Question 13

Explain the credibility checks of Triangulation, Negative case analysis, Prolonged time in the fields

Answer 13

•Triangulation
- Using different methods to address the question from different perspectives (mixed methods)
•Negative case analysis
- Researchers challenge their own initial assumptions and become aware of alternative experiences
- Search for and consider alternative explanations for the findings-get the one that best describes the research
• Prolonged time in the fields (e.g. ethnography)
-Allows researcher to better understand context/individuals, reduce reactivity
- Minimises researcher-effect

Question 14

What is dependability?

Answer 14

Developed from reliability and is a way of making sure it has been conducted in a dependable way so it can be audited, similar in quality over time

Question 15

How can dependability be achieved?

Answer 15

• Develop and audit trail

• Detailed description of the research process from start to end
• Accurate and adequate documentation of changes, surprise occurrences, etc, in what is being studied.
• If changes happen are they thoroughly described?

• Thick description
- Provide adequate detail about research process, context and how interpretation have been made

Question 16

What is transferability?

Answer 16

developed from generalisability and is whether there is potential for it to be transferred to another setting

Question 17

How can transferability be achieved?

Answer 17

• Provide depth when discussing results, contaxt, method to see if transferable
• Content accuracy – checking your theory / models have been interpreted correctly and correctly applied to the research

Question 18

What is confirmability?

Answer 18

Developed from objectivity and entails the confirmation of the researcher’s position and influence

Question 19

How can confirmability be enhanced?

Answer 19

• Post-analysis data audit - audit data collection and
analysis procedures. checks for any bias or misinterpretation?
-Documenting the procedures for checking and rechecking data – rigorous account of the methods and analytical techniques.
• Reflexivity…Researchers awareness of themselves and their relationship with the research-what is the potential impact

Question 20

Explain reflexivity as part of confirmability

Answer 20

•Personal / Self Reflexivity
-How research process affects the researcher & researchers behaviour from exposure to the context… and how the research is affected by us
•Epistemological (method) Reflexivity
-Looks at how the research question,
• Reflexivity can be done through field notes (check)

Question 21

what is authenticity

Answer 21

another trustworthiness element with no quant equivalent-when participants are empowered by the research