Qualitative Research

The Validity and Reliability of

Qualitative Research

Training Overview

• Section 1:

Philosophical Orientation: Getting in

the Right Mindset

• Section 2:

• Section 3: • Section 4:

• Section 5:

Enhancing the Validity of Qualitative Research

Enhancing the Reliability of Qualitative Research Applications of Qualitative Research Design Group Work to Apply Learning

Section 1

Philosophical Orientation

• The philosophical underpinnings of qualitative research (as contrasted against quantitative research) Implications for sampling Implications for addressing issues of validity and reliability

• •

Quantitative and Qualitative Paradigms Contrasted

• Quantitative Research is …

– Fundamentally an inferential enterprise that seeks to uncover universal principles – Philosophically and methodologically built or designed around the ability to infer from a sample to a larger population

Quantitative and Qualitative Paradigms Contrasted

• Qualitative Research is …

– Fundamentally an interpretive enterprise that is context-dependent – Philosophically and methodologically built or designed around the ability to interpret (comprehend/understand) a phenomenon from an emic (insider), as well as an etic (outsider) perspective

– This inter-subjective (i.e., shared) understanding serves as a proxy for “objectivity”

Implications for Research Questions

• A client wants to know about how well a program is working for youth:

– Quantitative Research Questions (descriptive, explanatory ->inferential) – Qualitative Research Questions (descriptive, explanatory ->interpretive)

Implications for Sampling

• Sampling Strategies used in Quantitative Research:

– Obtaining a random or representative sample (based on probabilities)

– Permits the researcher to infer from a segment of the population (from which it is more feasible to collect data) to a larger population

Implications for Sampling

• Sampling Strategies used in Qualitative...