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Enhancing Validityin Qualitative Research

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Pedro Whyte
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9 views3 pages

Enhancing Validityin Qualitative Research

Uploaded by

Pedro Whyte
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Enhancing Validity in Qualitative Research

Technique What It Does


Research Design Stage
Use multiple • Collecting data via multiple methods and from a variety of
methods and/or sources provides the opportunity to compare findings in analysis
data sources for convergence or divergence (triangulation, constant
comparative method).
Team-based
instrument • Involving the whole research team in steps of the
development instrument development processes increases validity by
(if using a familiarizing the team with the connection between
guide) and research objectives and questions on the guide at an early
pretest stage.
• Brainstorming specific questions to include may increase
validity of the questions, since multiple perspectives will
be considered (reduces bias from any one person).
• Pretesting facilitates validity by ensuring questions make
sense to participants.

Data Collection Stage


Train field • Training data collectors on the purpose behind the questions
team in and probing techniques improves the relevance of data collected
collection (that is, interviewers are more likely to ask follow-up questions
techniques directly related to the study objectives).
Monitor data • Providing data collectors with immediate feedback (or
as they come in receiving feedback on your own data) improves data quality and
consistency. Debriefing on a regular basis is an important
element in qualitative reliability and validity checks.
Elicit feedback • Having participants review what they said improves validity
from and provides the researcher with an opportunity to clarify
participants anything that was unclear or ambiguous.
after
summarizing
their interview
Data Analysis Stage
Transcribe data
using a • Transcription provides a verbatim account of the data
transcription collection event, thereby enhancing validity.
protocol • Using a transcription protocol ensures that transcription is
done consistently and is of the appropriate type for the
analytic aims.

Establish • Translation techniques and styles vary greatly. Establishing


translation your translation approach up front increases the likelihood that
expectations your data will be useful for the analysis planned. Improper
from the start translation protocols result in highly questionable data, analysis,
and interpretation.
Develop and
use a precise • The vast majority of coding reliability problems are due to
codebook differing interpretations of code meanings. The more
descriptive and precise a codebook, the better inter-coder
reliability will result.
• Good codebooks also facilitate data comparison if using
the same codes in a different study.
• This provides easy access to code meanings for internal
reviews.

Use multiple
coders and • Coding agreement comparisons facilitate coding reliability
inter-coder by providing checks on individual biases and variance in
agreement interpretation of code definitions.
checks • Coding comparisons generate iterative revisions to the
codebook, improving the precision of code definitions.
• Intercoder agreement exercises can provide a metric for
assessing progress in consistency of code application (if
using percent agreement or Kappa statistic).

External and/or
peer review of • Outside review facilitates coding validity by providing
coding and
summaries
checks on individual biases and variance in interpretation
of code definition (a reliability issue as well).

Create an audit
trail • Such a trail makes the analysis process more transparent
for other researchers to review.
• It also facilitates internal review of processes and the
ability to accurately replicate procedures if desired.

Triangulate,
combine, or • If analyzed properly, convergent data from different
cross-reference methods/sources validate findings.
data sources • Divergence of data indicates a need to adapt explanatory
models and provide potential reasons for the discordance.

Negative case • Consciously including negative cases in an analysis mitigates


analysis analyst biases by forcing analysts to look for and report any
evidence contrary to prevailing patterns identified in the data.
Support themes • Using verbatim quotes increases validity of findings by directly
and connecting the researcher's interpretations with what participants
interpretations actually said.
with quotes

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