Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Chapter 20 Enhancing Quality and Integrity in Qualitative Research
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Controversies Surrounding the Issue of Quality in Qualitative Studies Issue of rigor and validity Criteria to use as indicators of validity or integrity Generic versus study-specific criteria Strategies to use to address quality criteria Prevailing perspective (researchers or external critics)
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Assessing Data Quality in Qualitative Studies: Trustworthiness Concerns the “truth value” of qualitative data and qualitative analysis Encompasses four criteria: –Credibility –Dependability –Confirmability –Transferability
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Credibility Refers to confidence in the truth of the data and interpretations of them Methods of enhancing and evaluating credibility: –Prolonged engagement –Persistent observation –Triangulation (data, investigator, theory, method)
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Credibility (cont’d) Methods of enhancing and evaluating credibility (cont’d): –Peer debriefing –Member checking –Searching for disconfirming evidence –Researcher credibility
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Dependability Refers to stability of data over time and over conditions Methods of assessing dependability: –Stepwise replication –Inquiry audit
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Confirmability Refers to the objectivity of the data—the potential for congruence between two or more people about data accuracy, relevance, or meaning Methods of assessing confirmability: –Inquiry audit –Audit trail
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Transferability The extent to which findings can be transferred to other settings or groups (analogous to generalizability) Potential for transferability enhanced by thick description
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Strategies for Enhancing Quality of Qualitative Data Prolonged engagement Persistent observation Triangulation Member checking
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Strategies for Enhancing Quality During the Coding and Analysis Investigator triangulation Theory triangulation Stepwise replication Search for disconfirming evidence Search for rival explanations Negative case analysis Peer debriefings Inquiry audit
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Strategies Relating to Presentation Disclosure of quality enhancement strategies Thick and contextualized description Researcher credibility
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Development of a Quality-Minded Outlook—Commitments 1.Transparency 2.Absorption and diligence 3.Verification 4.Reflexivity 5.Participant-driven inquiry 6.Insightful interpretation