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Running head: VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY ISSUES IN QUALITATIVE 1

Validity and Reliability Issues in Qualitative Research

Monica R. Woods

University Of Phoenix

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY ISSUES IN QUALITATIVE

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Validity and Reliability Issues in Qualitative Research

Research without rigor is reduced to fictional writing. Therefore, much focus is placed on

the reliable and valid methods applied to research studies. Drawing upon the conceptualization of

qualitative research and understanding the meaning of validity and reliability would best

demonstrate the fundamental role and need of strategies in answering scientific questions and

conclusions arrived at about the social world. This too, brings into focus the role of theory as it

relates to research with inductive strategies qualitative research offers to correspond between

reality and what is represented in the study. Qualitative research encounters issues of validity and

reliability due to its definition and the ability to replicate the practice of conducting qualitative

research in a manner accepted as valid and reliable. This paper is intended to discuss the validity

and reliability of qualitative research that is vital to social research. Due to the flexibility in the

design of approaches, one must question whether or not qualitative research can be validated and

reliable, appropriately.

Qualitative Research Defined

The emergence of philosophical, historical, and disciplinarian influences on qualitative

research has placed us in a quandary for offering a simple definition. One way of understanding

what qualitative research is is having knowledge of what it is not. Qualitative research is not

indicative of numbers, point of view of the researcher, theory tests, structured, generalizing, hard

data, or taking place in an artificial setting (Lee, 2014). On the other hand, Creswell (2014)

describes qualitative research as the processes where purposeful sampling, collecting open-ended

data, text, pictures and figures represent information derived from personal interpretation of

observational findings in social research. The problem defining qualitative research stems from

the fact that more than one type of qualitative research is identified. For example, Merriam and


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Tisdell (2015) describe six qualitative research approaches: (1) basic qualitative research is

focused on exploring knowledge in the meaning, understanding, and processes of how an

individual makes sense of their experience. Basic qualitative research is generic and interpretive

as individuals construct reality through interactions in the social world (Merriam and Tisdell,

2015). Basic qualitative research techniques are drawn throughout various disciplines.

Researchers commonly use basic qualitative research in educational studies (Merriam and

Tisdell, 2015); (2) Phenomenology focuses on the essence or underlying structures of a

phenomenon. Phenomenological researcher works to understand the “what” of an individual’s

experience, and the “how” to which they experienced the phenomenon (Creswell, 2013).

Phenomenology intends to create a deep understanding and meaning from collected analyzed

data in the similar manner as case study research. Phenomenology research is designed for the

researcher desiring to describe the essence of a phenomenon of lived an experience of an

individual. Research questions in phenomenology are derived by the researcher’s need for

information from participants leading to the outcome (Merriam and Tisdell, 2015); (3)

Ethnography focuses on the interpretation of the sociocultural aspects of one’s life, (4) Narrative

inquiry seeks to analyze the stories of people to understand their experience lived. Narrative

design developed from anthropology, history, literature, sociology, sociolinguistic, and

educational fields (Creswell, 2014). Narrative researchers collect stories from individuals to tell

in form of a biography, autoethnography, historic portrayal, and oral history (Creswell, 2013).

(5) Grounded theory research focuses on the discovery of theory derived from data of

participants who have experienced some process, action, or interaction (Creswell, 2013). Ground

theory is said to have evolved as a qualitative approach through the years as a result of work by

researchers from Glazer (1967) to Strauss and Corbin (2008). Ground theory is used by


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researchers when no other theory in literature can explain a particular phenomenon or when there

lacks sufficient descriptions of a process or knowledge being investigated (Merriam and Tisdell,

2015). According to Merriam and Tisdell (2015) grounded theory intends to explain a

phenomenon beyond mere descriptions. Grounded theory works to build strong theory from

one’s experience, (6) Case study is an in-depth analysis of a bound system or systems. According

to Hesse-Biber and Leavy (2011), case studies are used across disciplines and hold influences in

areas such as social work, law, health, and education. A case study researcher examines

problems where detailed understandings occur from investigating a case or a number of cases.

Case studies focus on the in-depth descriptive analysis of a particular case or cases. Creswell

(2013) stresses the importance of contextual materials on hand for accuracy in descriptions of the

setting for the case. Researchers should also have a large amount of information about the cases

so they are capable of painting an in-depth, accurate picture for readers. A case study research

design can be viewed as an interactive process allowing researchers opportunity for a holistic

approach for inquiry of more complex phenomenon of real-life (Yazan, 2015).

Validity and Reliability

Years of rejecting the reliability and validity in qualitative research has caused a change

in the dynamics of ensuring rigor during the process of conducting qualitative research according

to Morse, Barrett, Mayan, Olson, and Spiers (2002). Researchers argue that qualitative

researchers have a responsibility to employ validity and reliability by interweaving verifiable

strategies that guarantee self-correction throughout the process of inquiry (Morse et al., 2002).

Useful and trustworthy research is that which has communicated through a reliable and valid

process demonstrating rigorous evaluation and conscientious evidence throughout the study

(Roberts, Priest, and Traynor, 2006).


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Validity Defined

Validity in qualitative research is described in a wide variation of terms. Validity is not

viewed as an individual, set or versatile concept. However, it can be a grounded concept within a

process of intentional methodologies and designs (Golafshani, 2003). Validity in qualitative

research can be determined by the degree to which the researcher has measured the phenomenon

under study (Roberts et al., 2003).

Reliability Defined

Reliability in qualitative research is viewed as the trustworthiness of the researchers

procedures and data generation (Roberts et al., 2006). Qualitative research is found to be reliable

if the results from the study are replicable under different circumstances (Morse et al., 2002).

Reliability in qualitative research ensures that researchers have demonstrated caution in

collecting and analyzing data within the study (Roberts et al., 2006).

Strategies for Validity

Difficulty with validity in qualitative research can emerge from several areas of the

research process. For instance, researcher bias can be revealed as selective collection, data

recording of interpretation due to researcher preferences or personal perspective. To avoid or

limit misinterpretations of research data, reflexivity can be applied (Darawsheh, 2014).

Reflexivity gives researchers the opportunity to pursue bracketing (to avoid preconceptions from

tainting the data) or being aware of any subjective influences on the research process.

Strategies for Reliability

As state above, reliability in qualitative research is synonymous to the trustworthiness of

the procedures and data generation of the study (Roberts et al., 2006). Demonstrating the

truthfulness of the data analyzed and reported in the study should be put in place with the onset


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of and continue throughout the study. Strategies to increase rigor in qualitative research is

centered on the trustworthiness of the data and should be followed throughout the process.

Strategies for reliability can be addressed by the means if which the researcher uses

quality recording devices to record interviews and the detailed manner in which the interviews

are transcribed including behaviors unseen by the reader such as pauses and overlapping

information (Creswell, 2013). Researchers should establish a practice of external checks for high

quality coding (Creswell, 2014). The coding process of the study should be stable and consistent

to add to the reliability of data analysis and data handling (Roberts et al., 2006). Researchers

increase reliability in qualitative research when bias is overcome and can be reflected in data

interpretation by an external audit. Further assurance of reliability is demonstrated by the use of

high quality computerized data analysis software, such as NVivo, by strictly following the

procedures the program (Roberts et al., 2006).

Conclusion

The contrasting paradigm existing between quantitative and qualitative research through

validity brings a change in the understanding of traditional definitions from the viewpoint of

qualitative researchers of validity and reliability. Morse et al., (2002), Golafshani (2003),

Roberts et al., (2006), Darawsheh (2014) agree, to some extent, that validity and reliability are of

the same concept as trustworthiness, rigor, and quality. Therefore, in order to achieve validity

and reliability researchers must place strategies throughout the process of inquiry that limit or

eliminate bias and increase the researcher’s truthfulness concerning the phenomenon employing

triangulation and reflexivity. Standards of validation and reliability must not only be used to

evaluate the findings of a study, but must be used by researchers to ensure that the results of the

study are: (1) dependable due to accuracy of data collection, (2) confirmable and can be


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replicated, (3) trusted and useful in the field, (4) credible due to the care taken during the

process, and (5) transferable to a different situation or population. Qualitative research data

analysis process can be validated and reliable by researchers using computer data analysis

software such as NVivo to ensure an accurate and transparent view of the data throughout study

(Welsh, 2002).


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References

Creswell, J.W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five

approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Ltd.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed

methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications

Golafshani, N. (2003, December). Understanding reliability and validity in

qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), 597-607.

Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8-4/golafshani.pdf

Darawsheh, W. (2014). Reflexivity in research: Promoting rigour, reliability and

validity in qualitative research. International Journal Of Therapy &

Rehabilitation, 21(12), 560-568 9p.

Lee, Y. (2014). Insight for Writing a Qualitative Research Paper. Family & Consumer Sciences

Research Journal, 43(1), 94-97. doi:10.1111/fcsr.12084

Merriam, S. B., and Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design

and implementation (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Strauss, A., and Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research (Vol. 15). Newbury Park, CA:

Sage.

Morse, J. M., Barrett, M., Mayan, M., Olson, K., & Spiers, J. (2002). Verification

Strategies for Establishing Reliability and Validity in Qualitative


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Research. International Journal Of Qualitative Methods, 1(2), 1-19.

Welsh, E. (2002, May). Dealing with data: Using nvivo in qualitative data

analysis process. Qualitative Social Research, 3(2).

Retrieved from http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/

view/865/1880#gcit

Yazan, B. (2015). Three approaches to case study methods in education: Yin,

Merriam, and Stake. The Qualitative Report, 20(2), 134-152. Retrieved

from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR20/2/yazan1.pdf

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