Enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Qualitative inquiry is influenced by diverse philosophical and theoretical orientations.
• Quality and credibility in research are linked to audience and research objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine methods for enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis.
• To address concerns related to data gathering, researcher attributes, and user philosophical beliefs.

Main Methods:

• Review of techniques for rigorous qualitative data gathering and analysis.
• Consideration of validity, reliability, and triangulation in qualitative research.
• Examination of researcher credibility and user paradigm-based preferences.

Main Results:

• General approaches to enhancing qualitative data quality and credibility are presented.
• Acknowledges that specific paradigms and purposes may require tailored quality criteria.
• Highlights an evolving consensus favoring method-question alignment over single-approach advocacy.

Conclusions:

• The challenge lies in appropriately matching methods to empirical questions.
• A softened debate between qualitative and quantitative approaches suggests a move toward methodological pluralism.
• Ensuring quality and credibility in qualitative research requires attention to methods, researchers, and evaluators' perspectives.