It is hard to ensure that qualitative research is accurate or correct; therefore the following 4 aspects need to be taken into consideration when conducting qualitative research:
- Credibility/trustworthiness
- Transferability
- Dependability
- Confirmability
These terms are used by Lincoln and Guba, to replace ‘reliability’ and ‘validity’, which are usually linked to quantitative research.
Credibility/trustworthiness:
The credibility is involved in establishing that the results of the research are believable. This is a classic example of ‘quality not quantity’. It depends more on the richness of the information gathered, rather than the amount of data gathered. There are many techniques to gauge the accuracy of the findings, such as data triangulation, triangulation through multiple analysts and ‘member checks’. In reality the participants/readers are the only ones who can reasonably judge the credibility of the results.
Transferability:
Transferability refers to the degree in which the research can be transferred to other contexts; this section is defined by readers of the research. The reader notes the specific details of the research situation and methods, and compares them to a similar situation that they are more familiar with. If the specifics are comparable, the original research would be deemed more credible. It is essential that the original researcher supplies a highly detailed description of their situation and methods.
Dependability:
Dependability ensures that the research findings are consistent and could be repeated. This is measured by the standard of which the research is conducted, analysed and presented. Each process in the study should be reported in detail to enable an external researcher to repeat the inquiry and achieve similar results. This also enables researchers to understand the methods and their effectiveness.
Confirmability
Confirmability questions how the research findings are supported by the data collected. This is a process to establish whether the researcher has been bias during the study; this is due to the assumption that qualitative research allows the research to bring a unique perspective to the study. An external researcher can judge whether this is the case by studying the data collected during the original inquiry. To enhance the confirmability of the initial conclusion, and audit trail can be completed throughout the study to demonstrate how each decision was made.
References
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualval.php
http://www.qualres.org/HomeLinc-3684.html
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/shu_cohort_viii/images/Trustworthypaper.pdf
