Reference no: EM131276117

Introduction

In qualitative research, it is important that researchers approach their studies in a relational manner (Ravitch & Carl, 2016, p. 344). A relational approach to research requires that the researcher focused and sustained critical attention to the relational aspects of the inquiry which are essentially pinned on ethics, trustworthiness and credibility of the research. As was posited by Ravitch & Carl, a relational approach to research allows the researcher to become reflexive in his/her engagement and/or interactions with others. For instance it allows the researcher to admit that he/she has no answer to a question and also shows the willingness of the researcher to hear more.

The intent of this submission is to highlight some of the appropriate qualitative measures that ensures the quality, trustworthiness, and credibility of a qualitative research and also to provide some examples of specific techniques and strategies.

Ensuring Quality, Trustworthiness, and Credibility of a Qualitative Research

It is always imperative that research designs in qualitative research is planned articulated and crafted in a way as to ensure validity and trustworthiness of the study. Hammersley and Traianou (2012) did a good job by outlining key principles for qualitative researchers to achieve quality, trustworthiness and credibility in a research study.

Quality: The quest to achieve quality in research study is important to researchers. Hence in the crafting my qualitative research method or design, quality will constitute one of the cornerstones. As was advanced by Ravitch & Carl (2016), effective design, piloting, vetting, rigor and quality data Ravitch & Carl (2016) are some of the ingredients that I will engage to ensure achieving quality for my study. For instance I will pretest my data collection system (interviewing, questionnaire) to identify areas that needs fine-tuning (strengths and weaknesses). Again I will rehearse my data collection instruments (which is involve practicing and testing out the data collection instruments with a friend and/or colleague) as was suggested by Ravitch & Carl (2016, p. 91).

Trustworthiness: According to Ravitch & Carl (2016), transparency and validity are vital in ensuring trustworthiness. The researcher must demonstrate a commitment to being clear and honest about the goals, expectations, and processes of the research as well as the roles and responsibilities of all the parties involved in the research process. I will dwell largely on the principles as were identified by Hammersley & Traianou (2012):

Respecting Autonomy: Firstly the researcher must demonstrate or show respect for the participants (interviewees) by allowing them to make their own decisions as to whether or not to participate. Once they elect to offer information, it is important that their identities and opinions are protected. Under this principle, I will ensure that the ground rules for the participation in the study are explicit without any ambiguities.

Protecting Privacy: Central to a research study is to provide useful information to the public by providing descriptions and explanations that are essential for public consumption. But what constitute classified or non-classified information? What should and should not be made public? Under this condition, I will ensure that information provided by interviewees are well filtered (without compromising the quality of the information) and as possible the identities of participants are not disclosed to the public.

Offering Reciprocity: In research study, researchers depend largely on the participation of interviewees in the provision of information in various ways; for instance, giving up time in order to be interviewed or to fill in a questionnaire. In reciprocation, participants will reasonably expect a return from researchers as to what researchers will offer them. I will safeguard that interviewees are reasonably "compensated." But the issue still loop on as to whether experimental subjects or informants in qualitative research be paid? Should this not lead to information for the higher bidder?
Treating People Equitably. It may be argued that the various individuals and groups that a researcher comes into contact with in the course of research should be treated equally, in the sense that no one is unjustly favored or discriminated against.

Credibility: One of the key criteria addressed by positivist researchers is that of internal validity, in which they seek to ensure that their study measures or tests what is actually intended.

Ensuring credibility, I will engage tools, such as Lincoln and Guba's (1986) framework, to "ensure credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability of findings" (as cited in Ravitch & Carl, 2016, p. 186). The tools will include:

Random sampling of individuals and groups to serve as participants.
Triangulation. This may involve the use of different methods, especially observation, focus groups and individual interviews, which form the major data collection strategies for much qualitative research.
Tactics to help ensure honesty in informants when contributing data. For instance, each interviewee or participants will be given the opportunity participate (or to refuse to participate) in the study so as to ensure that the data collection sessions involve only those who are genuinely willing to take part and prepared to offer data freely. Again participants will be encouraged to be frank in their deliveries.
Using iterative questioning. Again the use of probes to elicit detailed data and iterative questioning, in which matters previously raised by an informant and extracts related data through rephrased questions.
I will also use peer debriefer to review the study. Writing memos has proved to be very useful, hence memos will be used throughout the research study to mitigate any personal biases.
Conclusion

The trustworthiness and credibility of qualitative research generally are often questioned by positivists, perhaps because their concepts of validity and reliability cannot be addressed in the same way in naturalistic work. Nevertheless, several writers on research methods have demonstrated how qualitative researchers can incorporate measures that deal with these issues.

References

Hammersley, M., & Traianou, A. (2012). Ethics in qualitative research: Controversies and contexts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Ravitch, S. M., & Carl, N. M. (2016). Qualitative research: Bridging the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Yob, I., & Brewer, P. (2015). Working toward the common good: An online university's perspectives on social change, 1-25.