‘good research’ - quality criteria implied in (post)positivism
- Findings are an accurate reflection of reality – validity (various types)
- Another researcher will be able to conduct the same research - replicability
- When another researcher will conduct the research, the results will be the same –
reliability
trustworthiness
- credibility
- transferability
- dependability
- confirmability
credibility
- confidence in the ‘truth’ of the findings
Prolonged Engagement & Persistent Observation (Credibility)
spending enough time and focusing on aspects relevant to the issue being studied
Triangulation (credibility)
using multiple data sources in an investigation to produce understanding.
Peer debriefing (credibility)
exposing oneself to a disinterested peer in a manner paralleling an analytical session and for the purpose of exploring aspects of the inquiry that might otherwise remain only implicit
Negative case analysis (credibility)
Analysis of deviant cases may revise, broaden and confirm the patterns emerging from data analysis.
Referential adequacy (credibility)
checking interpretations against data that have not been analysed yet.
member-checking (=respondent validation) (credibility)
data, analytic categories, interpretations and conclusions are tested with members of those groups from whom the data were originally obtained.
Thick description (transferability)
By describing a phenomenon in sufficient detail, the reader can begin to evaluate the extent to which the conclusions drawn are transferable to other times, settings, situations, and people.
Inquiry audit (dependability)
External audits involve having a researcher not involved in the research
process examine both the process and product of the research study.
This is only possible if enough detail about the process is available, and if
data are stored well.
Confirmability audit (confirmability)
External audits involve having a researcher not involved in the research process examine both the process and product of the research study (in order to assess if results are influenced by the researcher)
Audit trail (confirmability)
- transparent description of the research steps taken from the start of a research project to the development and reporting of findings.
Triangulation (confirmability)
- Rather than seeing triangulation as a method for validation or verification, qualitative researchers generally use this technique to ensure that an account is rich, robust, comprehensive and well-developed.
Reflexivity (confirmabilty)
Attitude of attending systematically to the context of knowledge construction, especially to the effect of the researcher, at every step of the research process.
Statistical generalizability
random sample from a sampling frame (all units in the population). Also referred to as external validity
Purposeful/purposive sampling
“The logic and power of purposeful sampling lies in selecting information-rich cases for study in depth. Information-rich cases are those from which one can learn a great deal about issues of central impor tance to the purpose of the research, thus the term purposeful sampling.”
Snowball sampling
- When respondents are difficult to reach (drug users)
- When respondents are more aware who can provide the information the researcher is looking for (experts referring to other experts)
- In addition may provide insight into social networks, which can be useful
- Downside: valuable respondents may be missed.
Convenience sampling
- Easy-to-reach respondents
- Low quality
Definition of Case study
(view notes)
types of case selection
(view notes)
Comparative case study
Comparative case studies involve the analysis and synthesis of the similarities, differences and patterns across two or more cases that share a common focus or goal in a way that produces knowledge that is easier to generalize about causal questions – how and why particular programmes or policies work or fail to work
