1. The Research Process: Sport Coaching
SSP4000 The Research Process
Term 2
The Research Process: Sport Coaching
Reliability, Validity & Trustworthiness

2. Session Outline Feedback from pre-seminar task
Selection and justification for research method
Explore the differences between reliability and validity and trustworthiness

3. Pre-Seminar Task: Feedback
In your ‘research groups’:
You must write your question and aims on the whiteboard (2 mins)
You will then have 2 minutes to explain and justify the research method you have chosen
You must ask other groups 1 question regarding the decision they have made
3-4 minutes to write question and aims on whiteboard and consider what questions they might ask

4. Reliability, Validity & Trustworthiness
In your ‘research groups’ discuss:
What you think these terms mean
Why they are important in research
(5 minutes discussion + 5 feedback)

5. Reliability, Validity & Trustworthiness
Together (and individually) these are seen as the core of what is accepted as ‘proof’ or ‘representing reality’
They represent the quality, replicability, truthfulness, and value of the findings of a research project
Trustworthiness = Qualitative measures
Reliability and Validity = Quantitative measures

6. What problems would this criteria cause qualitative researchers?
Reliability
Smith (2010):
“Reliability is the extent to which an experiment, test, or any measuring procedure yields the same result on repeated trials” (p. 25).
Essentially, different researchers doing the same research project with different participants should find similar results
Example: Two researchers are examining the same coach’s behaviour using the same assessment tool. If the findings are similar the test can be deemed reliable
What problems would this criteria cause qualitative researchers?

7. Validity
Patton (2002):
“Refers to the credibility or believability of the research” (p. 13).
Essentially, validity is concerned with the study's success at measuring what the researchers set out to measure.
External Validity: the extent to which the results of a study are generalizable or transferable
Example: An autoethnographical account of a coach’s practice is detailed enough to resonate with other coaches
Internal Validity: the rigour with which the study was conducted
Example: Participants in an interview study were given the chance to confirm the accuracy of their interview transcripts before data analysis started
What problems would this criteria cause qualitative researchers?

8. Credibility: confidence in the 'truth' of the findings
Trustworthiness
Lincoln and Guba (1985) posit that trustworthiness of a research study is important to evaluating its worth. 
Trustworthiness involves establishing:
Confirmability: the extent to which the findings of a study are shaped by the respondents and not researcher.
Dependability: showing that the findings are consistent and could be repeated
Credibility: confidence in the 'truth' of the findings
Transferability: showing that the findings have applicablity in other contexts

9. Trustworthiness cont…
Traditional Criteria for judging quantitative research
Objectivity
Internal validity
External validity
Reliability
Traditional Criteria for judging qualitative research
Confirmability
Credibility
Transferability
Dependability

10. An Example The following extract comes from:
Read through and discuss in your groups what the researchers had to consider in terms of trustworthiness

11. Feedback from students following 10 minutes reading and discussion in groups

12. Pre-Seminar Task Individually:
Read Shenton’s (2004) article on trustworthiness in qualitative research (on Moodle)
Complete the directed reading sheet ready for the next seminar