Paper III

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Paper III

• Qualitative research methodology

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Objective 1.7

• Explain the importance of Credibility in
  Qualitative Research.

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• Because of the subjective nature of qualitative
  methods, researchers have looked to develop ways
  in which trustworthiness can be applied to this
  type of research
• E.G. Guba (1981) has investigated the
  trustworthiness of naturalistic inquiries.

Building context
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• The aim of trustworthiness in a qualitative
  inquiry is to support the argument that the
  inquirys findings are worth paying attention
  to (Lincoln Guba, 1981, p.290).
• This is quite different from the conventional
  experimental (quantitative) precedent of
  attempting to show validity, soundness, and
  significance.

Building context
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• Trustworthiness in qualitative research.
• In any qualitative research project, four
  criteria for trustworthiness demand attention
• a) credibility (in preference to internal
  validity)
• b) transferability (in preference to external
  validity/generalisability)
• c) dependability (in preference to reliability)
• d) con?rmability (in preference to objectivity).

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• For this objective, we will only explain
  credibility (although it is important to note to
  the reader that credibility is one of four ways
  of ensuring trustworthiness)

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Objective 1.7

• Explain the importance of Credibility in
  Qualitative Research.

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• One of the key criteria addressed by quantitative
  research is that of internal validity, in which
  one seeks to ensure that their study measures or
  tests what is actually intended.
• According to researchers, the qualitative
  investigators equivalent concept, i.e.
  credibility, deals with the question, How
  congruent are the ?ndings with reality?

Defining Credibility
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• Lincoln and Guba argue that ensuring credibility
  is one of most important factors in establishing
  trustworthiness.
• The credibility criteria involves establishing
  that the results of qualitative research are
  credible or believable from the perspective of
  the participant in the research. 

Defining Credibility
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• The credibility criteria involves establishing
  that the results of qualitative research are
  credible or believable from the perspective of
  the participant in the research. 
• Since from this perspective, the purpose of
  qualitative research is to describe or understand
  the phenomena of interest from the participant's
  eyes, the participants are the only ones who can
  legitimately judge the credibility of the
  results.
• Lincoln and Guba argue that ensuring credibility
  is one of most important factors in establishing
  trustworthiness.

Defining Credibility
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Credibility

• What happens when a source loses it credibility.

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• It is of tremendous importance for qualitative
  research to be believable.
• If the raw data represents inconsistent beliefs
  or biased views, then the research loses ground.

Importance of Credibility
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• The assumption is if your research is not
  credible (internally valid) it cannot be
  accurately transferable (externally valid).
• Credibility adds truth value to qualitative
  research.
• Truth value is perhaps the most important
  criterion for the assessment of qualitative
  research.

Importance of Credibility
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• A number of methodological strategies are
  required to ensure strong credibility.
• Triangulation is the single most important method
  that ensures credibility in qualitative research.

Importance of Credibility
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TomorrowObjective 1.8

• Explain the effect of triangulation on the
  credibility/trustworthiness of qualitative
  research
• .