trustworthiness and integrity in qual research

issues with trustworthiness in qualitative research

- some frameworks and criteria aspire to being generic, which may mean that it's to be applicable across qual. traditions
- other frameworks are specific to a tradition or even to a specific analytic approach within a tradition

who's criteria for qualitative research is considered "gold standard" ?

Lincoln and Guba's

how is trustworthiness/rigor achieved in qualitative research? (according to Lincoln and Guba)

credibility, dependability, confirmability, transferability, and authenticity
- these represent parallels to the positivists' criteria of internal validity, reliability, objectivity, and external validity

key goal of Lincoln and Guab's framework

trustworthiness

Credibility

- confidence in the truth value of the data and interpretations of them

- two aspects: 1) carrying out the study in a way that enhances the believability of the findings and 2) taking steps to demonstrate credibility to external readers

dependability

the stability (reliability) of data over time and over conditions
- Credibility cannot be attained in the absence of dependability, just as validity in quantitative research cannot be achieved in the absence of reliability.

confirmability

objectivity—the potential for congruence between two or more independent people about the data's accuracy, relevance, or meaning
- analog of objectivity in quantitative rsch
- concerned with establishing that the data represent the info participants provided and that the interpretations of those data are not imagined by the inquirer

transferability

extent to which qualitative findings have applicability in other settings or groups
- analogous to generalizability/ external validity in quantitative rsch

authenticity

The extent to which the researchers fairly and faithfully show a range of different realities and convey the feeling/tone of participants' lives as they are lived
- no analog in quan rsch
- added to Lincoln and Guam's framework at a later date

how to enhance quality in qualitative inquiry

- prolonged engagment
- persistent observation
- reflexivity strategies
- comprehensive and vivid recording of info
- member checking

prolonged engagement

the investment of sufficient time collecting data to have an in-depth understanding of the culture, language, or views of the people or group under study; to test for misinformation; and to ensure saturation of important categories
- also important for building trust

persistent observation

intensive focus on salience of data being gathered; researchers' focus on the characteristics or aspects of a situation that are relevant to the phenomena being studied.

refelxivity strategies

- attending to researchers effect in data

- involves awareness that the researcher as an individual brings to the inquiry a unique background, set of values, and a professional identity that can affect the research process.

comprehensive and vivid recording of info

- maintenance of an audit trail (a systematic collection of documentation and materials) and a decision trail (specifies decision rules)

member checking

providing feedback to participants about emerging interpretations; obtaining their reactions
- a controversial procedure- considered essential by some but inappropriate by others

Data and Method Triangulation: Denzin

triangulation, data triangulation, method triangulation

triangulation

the use of multiple referents to draw conclusions about what constitutes truth
- aim is to overcome the intrinsic bias that comes from single-method, single- observer, and single-theory studies

data triangulation

he use of multiple data sources for the purpose of validating conclusions
- here are three types of data triangulation: time, space, and person

time triangulation

involves collecting data on the same phenomenon or about the same people at different points in time
- similar to test-retest

space triangulation

involves collecting data on the same phenomenon in multiple sites, to test for cross-site consistency

person triangulation

involves collecting data from different types or levels of people with the aim of validating data through multiple perspectives on the phenomenon.

method triangulation

involves using multiple methods of data collection to study the same phenomenon

strategies related to coding and analysis

- investigator triangulation
- disconfirming evidence
- negative case analysis
- peer review and debriefing
- inquiry audit

investigator triangulation

the use of two or more researchers to make data collection, coding, and analysis decisions

disconfirming evidence

The search for disconfirming cases occurs through purposive or theoretical sampling methods. This strategy depends on concurrent data collection and data analysis: Researchers cannot look for disconfirming data unless they have a sense of what they need to know.

negative case analysis

aka deviant case analysis

- a process where researchers search for cases that appear to disconfirm earlier hypotheses and then revise their interpretations as necessary

- goal: continuously refine a conceptualization or theory until it accounts for all cases.

peer review and debrief

- involves external validation, often in face-to-face sessions with the researchers' peers to review aspects of the inquiry
- specifically designed to elicit critical feedback

inquiry audit

a formal scrutiny of the data and relevant supporting documents and decisions by an external reviewer

strategies relating to presentation

- thick and contextualized description
- researcher credibility

thick and contextualized description

vivid portrayal of study participants, their context, and the phenomenon under study

researcher credibility

enhancing confidence by sharing relevant aspects of the researcher's experiences, credentials, and motivation

incubation

the process of living the data;a process in which researchers must try to understand their meaning, find essential patterns, and draw insightful conclusions

how to avoid bias in qual. rsch

review findings with peers