KEY TERMS
auditability: When
another researcher
can clearly follow
decisions made by
the investigator,
arriving at the same
or comparable
conclusions
data saturation: In
qualitative research,
the time when no
new information
is being obtained
and repetition
of information is
consistently heard
peer debriefing:
A technique used in
qualitative research
in which the
researcher enlists
the help of another
person, who is a
peer, to discuss the
data and findingsCredibility
Use of well-established research methods
Prolonged engagement
Triangulation
Thick description
Detailed interviews
Data saturation
Peer debriefing
Member checks
Constant comparison
Negative case analysis
Reflexivity (reflective journaling)
Confirmability
Audit trail
Peer debriefing
Member checks
Self-reflection of the researcher evidenced by journals
Dependability
Audit trail
Peer debriefing
Coding checks that show agreement
Uniformity of responses across subjects
Ability to relate previous research findings to the current study
Transferability
Clear explanation of the boundaries/limitations of the study
Thick description
Checking for representativeness of the data
Audit trail
Data from Houghton, C., Casey, D., Shaw, D., & Murphy, K. (2013). Rigour
in qualitative case-study research. Nurse Researcher, 20(4), 12–17.BOX 14-3
Strategies to Establish Trustworthiness
of a Studythey are giving the truth and not misleading researchers during interviews.
Likewise, Kuper, Lingard, and Levinson (2008) recommended asking several key
questions when evaluating a qualitative research report. These included, “Was the
sample appropriate for the research question?” “Were data collected and analyzed
appropriately?” “Are the methods clear?” “Can the results be transferred to the
reader’s own setting?” and “Do the researchers address ethical considerations?”
Data saturation, when no new information is being provided by participants,
should be achieved. When evaluating qualitative research for credibility, read-
ers should be able to see that researchers used peer debriefing to ensure that
14.3 Qualitative Data Evaluation 393