How to Evaluate Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research

Qualitative research examines people's subjective experiences. While quantitative researchers may count the number of students in a school, qualitative researchers interview students to see what life is like inside the school and why some students do not attend class regularly. Many consumers of qualitative research wonder whether it is reliable. While you can never be completely certain that such research points to the correct conclusion, you can evaluate its trustworthiness.

Instructions

    • 1

      Ascertain the sample size. A study of 50 teachers at a medium-sized high school should include interviews with more than just one or two teachers. If qualitative research relies on too little data, the experiences of only a small number of interviewees might distort the data. For example, interviewing only the two gym teachers might give a distorted perspective on the question of how physically active the children are at the school.

    • 2

      Look at the interview questions or observation methods. According to the National Science Foundation, high-value qualitative research will gather its data in an unbiased way. For example, researchers will not pose leading questions to interviewees. If asking for teachers' views on corporal punishment, a questioner should ask "What are your views on corporal punishment?" rather than "Don't you agree that corporal punishment is a bad thing?" Similarly, if a qualitative researcher wishes to observe classroom behavior but gives kids sugary candy before each class, the results are questionable.

    • 3

      Determine whether the context is relevant. For example, if a researcher wanted to investigate the effects of drunk driving on driving performance, it would make no sense for the researcher to watch sober people driving, or drunk people driving on a fake road far away from traffic.

    • 4

      Check that all the relevant data for each conclusion are clearly displayed. Unless you can see the data used to draw a conclusion, you cannot trust the conclusion fully. Trustworthy qualitative research will share with you the data upon which it relied.

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