Which quality criterion used in qualitative research is considered analogous to internal validity in quantitative research?

what is the quality criteria we discussed in class?

Lincoln and Guba quality criteria
-most studies look at this criteria

Lincoln and Guba framework

key goal: trustworthiness

encompasses 5 criteria:
-1. credibility
-2. dependability
-3. confirmability
-4. transferability
-5. authenticity

what is the purpose of quality criteria?

to establish trustworthiness in the quality of the research that is conducted; equivalent to quality criteria or measures of rigor used in quantitative studies

trustworthiness includes? (5)

1. credibility
2. dependability
3. confirmability
4. authenticity
5. transferability

no point in using info from an article if it isn't trustworthy

which of the following is the key goal of the Lincoln and Guba framework?

a. dependability
b. credibility
c. trustworthiness
d. confirmability

c. trustworthiness
-rationale: the key goal of Lincoln and Guba is trustworthiness, which encompasses dependability, credibility, confirmability, transferability, and authenticity

strategies to enhance quality during data collection (8)

1. Prolonged Engagement: investing sufficient time to have in-depth understanding of participants or their experiences

2. Persistent Observation: intensive focus on the salience (importance or relevance) of the data being gathered

3. Reflexivity Strategies: attending to the researchers influence on the data; researcher must pay attention to what their influence is on the data (how are they influencing participants, data being gathered...?)

4. Triangulation
-Data: use of multiple data sources to validate conclusions
-->may be done through time, person, or space triangulation
-Method: use of multiple methods of data collection to study the same phenomena
-->ex: using self report and observations, using qualitative and quantitative methods

5. comprehensive and vivid recording of info

6. Audit Trail: systematic collection of documentation and materials that's kept during data collection
-"keeping records of what you're doing, when you're doing it, and why you're doing it"
-may be kept on ongoing basis or kept at particular decision points (really depends on the research that's being conducted in terms of which one is being used)

7. Decision Trail: specifies decision rules and decision points during data collection; may be considered separate things or things that are done all at the same time

8. Member Checking: provides feedback to participants about emerging interpretations and obtaining reactions
-going back to participants to confirm that what you thought you understood you did understand and understood it correctly

strategies to enhance quality during coding and analysis (after data has been collected) (6)

1. Triangulation
-Investigator: use of 2 or more researchers to make data coding analytic and interpretive decisions
-Theory: use of competing theories, hypotheses, or conceptualizations in the analysis and interpretation of the data

2. Stepwise Replication: head researcher divides research team into 2 groups to undertake parallel analyses and interpretations that are then captured
-each team interprets, codes, and analyzes data separately. Then they get back together to see if their coding and analyses come to the same conclusions

3. Disconfirming Evidence: search for disconfirming evidence as the analyses proceeds through the purposive and theoretical sampling of cases that challenge interpretations
-researcher is looking for instances that disagree with what they appear to be finding

4. Negative Case Analysis: specific search for cases that appear to discredit earlier hypotheses
-idea here is to continuously refine hypothesis or theory until it accounts for all of the cases (looking for negative case analysis)

5. Peer Review and Debriefing: sessions with other researchers specifically designed to elicit critical feedback

6. Inquiry Audit: formal scrutiny of the data and relevant supporting documents and decision by an external reviewer
- a little like peer review but it's w/ someone completely unrelated to the research, and the person may be completely unknown to the researcher

strategies to enhance presentation

thick and contextualized description: vivid portrayal of study participants, their context, and the phenomenon under study

researcher credibility: enhancing confidence by sharing relevant aspects of the researcher's experience, credentials, and motivation about the study, during the study, whatever is relevant regarding the researcher

T/F: Persistent observation is a quality-enhancement strategy useful for coding and analysis.

false
-rationale: persistent observation is a quality-enhancement strategy useful while generating data.

interpretation of qualitative findings

interpretation in qualitative inquiry aims to find meaning in the data. It relies on adequate time for:
-incubation
-self-reflection (reflexivity)
-creativity

qualitative research also considers:
-credibility: are these results believable?
-meaning
-importance: are these results trivial or are these findings important?
-transferability: do results apply to other situations?
-implications: what might the next step be as far as research is concerned? How can these findings be used in patient care?