There are several methods of research and every method play a vital role to find solution for a particular problem. One of the methods is qualitative which is used to get insights into the research problem and collect subjective data to closely examine the issue. In this research, human are targeted as potential audience and asked to answer the designed questions, and then it is analyzed to obtain results. The results are only accurate when the collected data is good enough to trust. The accuracy and presentation of data have primary significance in this research method. So, developing a degree of trust with the targeted audience matters a lot. In this way, you can better ensure the accuracy of data and build confidence in evaluated results.
Lincoln and Guba developed and refined the concept of validity and trustworthiness in qualitative research. As per the framework of Lincoln and Guba, you can work for validity and trustworthiness, and four components of its framework can help you come up with a reliable study of qualitative method. In qualitative method of research, the approach of trustworthiness is used very frequently. As per its importance, this article aims to discuss the ways to develop validity and trustworthiness in qualitative research with effective details.
Define Validity and Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research?
Development of validity and trustworthiness is an approach that aims to convince the researcher and readers of the obtained results. As a writer, you have to use this approach and grasp the attention of a reader, which can help you let them believe in your research work. Without validity and trustworthiness in qualitative research, it is challenging to prove if research work is reliable and you may not stand out. Also, if you are interested in publishing your work, you must deal with peer review. In this regard, trustworthiness helps you a lot and removes the hurdle in the best way.
What are the Way to Ensure Validity and Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research?
There are four components of Lincoln and Guba’s evaluation criteria for qualitative research. These four components are mentioned below, with detailed descriptions:
Dependability
For validity and trustworthiness in qualitative research, Lincoln and Guba’s framework suggest one component in the form of dependability. The novel researcher may not be able to examine the dependability of your research, but a senior and experienced researcher can do this very well. So, it is important to achieve dependability in your work. While working on this approach to ensure this component, you have to develop clear, logical and easy-to-understand research.
When you successfully develop the element of dependability, it becomes easy to accomplish the other components of the framework. The purpose of having dependability is to make your research repeatable in different era. It is very common to observe that many researchers work on a research gap that is the limitation of the last research on the same problem. The use of last research is only possible when it has dependability. So, as a responsible researcher, you have to take great care of it.
Credibility
Credibility is the most important component from the framework of Lincoln and Guba to check validity and trustworthiness in qualitative research. In this component, the confidence of the researcher is evaluated in regard to research findings. One of the best ways to find if the research is steadfast, you can use the node of triangulation. The triangulation can work well for a researcher as well as for data collecter. You can go one way, or you can check credibility from both triangulation methods. Other than triangulation, you can find prolonged engagement the best fit for evaluation.
One thing must be clear to you that credibility is something that shows the use of responses obtained from several resources. For example, you have collected data from a targeted audience. In this case, the collection of accurate data is not everything, but its presentation also matters a lot. The collected data is only beneficial when you are good at finding its best use. In qualitative research, subjective data is a bit tricky to handle, and its presentation becomes challenging. So, you have to check repeatedly if the message of respondent is delivered in the right way.
Confirmability
Lincoln and Guba has introduced another component of confirmability to check neutrality. A credible researcher is supposed to remain unbiased in his research work. No reader wants to waste his time reading a biased study. Confirmability is basically inclined towards the results and conclusion of a research study. That is why it is supposed to be addressed in the last when you are done with the rest of the components of framework developed by Lincoln and Guba for ensuring validity and trustworthiness in qualitative research.
So, the basic purpose of confirmability is to establish a clear path to show the derivation of conclusions and research results after analyzing the data. The confirmability of research shows the data collected from targeted audience is derived in a perfect way. The techniques and methods applied to data are accurate, which work well to make beneficial interpretations regarding the research problem. Furthermore, the theories and principles applied in research are good enough and most relevant to the study. All of the aspects of framework play a significant role in developing trustworthiness in qualitative research. In case of any query you can avail the service of masters dissertation help.
Transferability
In qualitative research, researchers need to focus on its current and future use. The use of research is only possible when there is some similar problem to discuss. Furthermore, when another researcher has to work on a similar audience, he can find your research transferable. In simple words, the application of research makes it transferable.
Lincoln and Guba added this component to the framework of trustworthiness in qualitative research for a case-to-case transfer. To make your dissertation writing trustworthy, you are supposed to site every content taken from internal or external sources. The proper citation helps the reader to track and assess the original content.
Final Thoughts
Most of the researchers use Lincoln and Guba’s framework for ensuing validity and trustworthiness in qualitative research. The reason for its frequent use is the effectiveness and the simplicity of framework. The critical evaluation of its components gives you the best results and makes it easy to evaluate if research is valuable as per the academic demands.
