Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research: Vital Component for Validity & Reliability

Introduction

The concept of trustworthiness in qualitative research is fundamental in determining its validity as well as reliability. In this regard, rather than focusing on the data itself, qualitative research focuses on the trustworthiness of the data collected in a given study (Amankwaa, 2016). According to Elo et al. (2014), data trustworthiness is a vital component in qualitative research, as the research method focuses on measuring things that cannot be defined by numbers. The trustworthiness of data collected in qualitative research is usually defined by terms such as credibility as well as dependability. These terms are vital for determining whether a researcher can trust the information collected for a given study. Concerns about the trustworthiness of data collected call for the need to address issues that include the establishment of confidence in the findings, the determination of the applicability of the findings, and the need to determine whether the findings were not biased (Anney, 2014).

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In addressing the issue of trustworthiness, the credibility of the data collected comes into question. According to Shenton (2004), credibility is one of the fundamental criteria that determine the quality and trustworthiness of qualitative data. To ensure the credibility of a study, member checks, as well as triangulation, could be used, as they contribute to the trustworthiness of the study. Some of the other factors that might be included to determine the credibility of the collected information in qualitative studies include the prolonged engagement with the unrelenting observation of the research participants (Anney, 2014). These factors can provide a researcher with the confidence that the research findings are truthful. In this light, a credible qualitative study is one that represents plausible information derived from the original views presented by the participants (Connelly, 2016). The qualitative researcher should be able to establish rigor during the inquiry process by adopting credibility strategies that include time sampling, triangulation, as well as peer examination, among others (Hadi & Closs, 2016).

Credibility can be regarded as the equivalent of internal validity as applicable to quantitative research. This criterion is fundamentally concerned with the aspect of deriving the truth from the participants. When designing a qualitative study, the researcher should be in a position of determining the credibility strategies applicable to the study, as some of the strategies might not be applicable to a particular study (Korstjens & Moser, 2018). For instance, it would not be possible for a researcher to use member check for written findings in a study when the participants have low literacy levels. However, when the study involves a particular profession, member checks from peers in the same profession might be applied, as they are likely to be having knowledge on the phenomenon under study. In this case, the peers are likely to ensure credibility by following predetermined trustworthiness strategies.

As identified earlier, one of the trustworthiness criteria that can be applied is prolonged engagement, which calls for the need for the researcher to immerse him or herself in the world of the participant (Anney, 2014). Using this criterion, the researcher will be in a position of gaining insight in the context of the particular study, which is vital for minimizing possible distortions of the information that might come up (Anney, 2014). When the researcher spends time in the field, he or she will be in a position of improving the respondents' trust, which is a vital component of understanding the context and culture of the research participants. Additionally, peer debriefing can be instrumental in ensuring the trustworthiness of a qualitative study, as it provides researchers with the opportunity to assess the developing insights (Anney, 2014). Amankwaa (advocates for the need for qualitative researchers to look for support from other professionals that might be in a position of providing scholarly guidance, which is a vital component that can assist in improving the quality of the findings.

Confirmability is the other component that determines the trustworthiness of qualitative research. It refers to the degree of neutrality of the findings, which should be based on the responses provided by the participants rather than the researcher's potential biases (Pandey & Patnaik, 2014). For this reason, the researcher should ensure that he or she does not skew the interpretation of the information provided by the participants to fit a predetermined narrative. Additionally, dependability can also influence the trustworthiness of qualitative research. In this case, the researcher should ensure that other researchers could repeat the study, in which the findings should be consistent with the initial findings (Morse, 2015). To ensure the dependability of a study, a qualitative researcher can utilize inquiry audit for the establishment of dependability. An inquiry audit requires the use of a reviewer, who is responsible for examining the research process and analyzing the data collected to ensure the consistency of the findings and to ascertain that it can be repeated.

Transferability is the other strategy that can be used to ensure the trustworthiness of qualitative research. Through the application of this strategy, the qualitative researcher can show that the findings derived from the study can be applied to other contexts (Morse, 2015). The contextual provision relates to the idea that the findings can be applicable to the same situation, populations, and phenomena. According to Cope (2014), a researcher can facilitate transferability judgment through the thick description as well as purposeful sampling. In this regard, the qualitative researcher can provide a detailed description of the study, consequently selecting the participants purposefully. Through these provisions, the researcher can facilitate the transferability of his or her inquiry.

References

Amankwaa, L. (2016). Creating Protocols for Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 23(3), 121-127. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29694754

Anney, V. N. (2014). Ensuring the Quality of the Findings of Qualitative Research: Looking At Trustworthiness Criteria. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS), 5(2), 272-281. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1419/f7b54e6b7f1215717a5056e0709f8946745b.pdf

Connelly, L. M. (2016). Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research. Medsurg Nursing, 25(6), 435-437. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30304614

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Elo, S., Kaariainen, M., Kanste, O., Polkki, T., Utriainen, K., & Kyngas, H. (2014). Qualitative Content Analysis: A Focus on Trustworthiness. SAGE Open, 4(1), 2158244014522633. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2158244014522633

Hadi, M. A., & Closs, S. J. (2016). Ensuring Rigor and Trustworthiness of Qualitative Research in Clinical Pharmacy. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 38(3), 641-646. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26666909

Korstjens, I., & Moser, A. (2018). Series: Practical Guidance to Qualitative Research. Part 4: Trustworthiness and Publishing. European Journal of General Practice, 24(1), 120-124. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13814788.2017.1375092

Morse, J. M. (2015). Critical Analysis of Strategies for Determining Rigor in Qualitative Inquiry. Qualitative Health Research, 25(9), 1212-1222. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26184336

Pandey, S. C., & Patnaik, S. (2014). Establishing Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Inquiry: A Critical Examination. Jharkhand Journal of Development and Management Studies, 12(1), 5743-5753. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Satyendra_Pandey2/publication/266676584_ESTABLISHING_RELIABILITY_AND_VALIDITY_IN_QUALITATIVE_INQUIRY_A_CRITICAL_EXAMINATION/links/543779b40cf2dc341db4d7fb/ESTABLISHING-RELIABILITY-AND-VALIDITY-IN-QUALITATIVE-INQUIRY-A-CRITICAL-EXAMINATION.pdf

Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for Ensuring Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research Projects. Education for Information, 22(2), 63-75. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cbe6/70d35e449ceed731466c316cd273032b28ca.pdf