Feedback from research participants: are member checks useful in qualitative research?

Data analysis is one of the most important, yet least understood, stages of the qualitative research process. Through rigorous analysis, data can illuminate the complexity of human behavior, inform interventions, and give voice to people’s lived experiences. While significant progress has been made in advancing the rigor of qualitative analysis, the process often remains nebulous. To better understand how our field conducts and reports qualitative analysis, we reviewed qualitative articles published in Health Education & Behavior between 2000 and 2015. Two independent reviewers abstracted information in the following categories: data management software, coding approach, analytic approach, indicators of trustworthiness, and reflexivity. Of the 48 ( n = 48) articles identified, the majority ( n = 31) reported using qualitative software to manage data. Double-coding transcripts was the most common coding method ( n = 23); however, nearly one third of articles did not clearly describe the coding approach. Although the terminology used to describe the analytic process varied widely, we identified four overarching trajectories common to most articles ( n = 37). Trajectories differed in their use of inductive and deductive coding approaches, formal coding templates, and rounds or levels of coding. Trajectories culminated in the iterative review of coded data to identify emergent themes. Few articles explicitly discussed trustworthiness or reflexivity. Member checks ( n = 9), triangulation of methods ( n = 8), and peer debriefing ( n = 7) were the most common procedures. Variation in the type and depth of information provided poses challenges to assessing quality and enabling replication. Greater transparency and more intentional application of diverse analytic methods can advance the rigor and impact of qualitative research in our field.

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Embracing tension: using Bakhtinian theory as a means for data analysis

Qualitative Research ◽

10.1177/1468794116653800 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 20-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Xiaoli Hong ◽

Michelle M Falter ◽

Bob Fecho

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Data Analysis ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Multiple Perspectives ◽

Qualitative Data Analysis ◽

Research Participants ◽

Analysis Process ◽

Bakhtinian Theory ◽

Ongoing Dialogue

In this article we introduce tension as a means for qualitative data analysis based on Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogical theory. We first explain the foundations of Bakhtin’s theory and show the inevitability of tension in our lives and qualitative data analysis. We then offer a review of how Bakhtin’s notion of tension has manifested itself in qualitative research, which prompts us to establish a tensional approach to qualitative data analysis. Finally, we outline our framework for a tensional approach to data analysis and illustrate examples of putting this approach into practice in our own study. Our tensional approach (1) explores key moments of tension; (2) seeks out unease and discomfort; (3) involves researcher and research participants in ongoing dialogue; (4) and embraces multiple perspectives on a range of tensions during the data analysis process. It encourages uncertainties and questions instead of pursuing certainty of meaning and fixed conclusions.

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The Limits of Shared Panethnic Status: Considering Culture, Age, and Language in Qualitative Research

Humanity & Society ◽

10.1177/01605976211032928 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 016059762110329

Author(s):

Trisha J. Tiamzon ◽

Miho Iwata ◽

Shweta Majumdar Adur

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Data Collection ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Cultural Competence ◽

Asian Americans ◽

Cultural Norms ◽

Culture Age ◽

Research Participants ◽

Data Collection And Analysis ◽

Different Levels

The increase of qualitative research in gerontology invites discussion of the effects of researcher positionality on data collection and analysis. Analyses of the interviewing experiences of three researchers who conducted a qualitative study of aging Asian Americans illustrate the complexities of negotiating “insider” status. Despite the interviewers’ shared panethnic status (Asian) with the participants, they experienced different levels of insider status, which were based, in part, on cultural competence related to cultural norms and practices, age hierarchies, and language. This suggests that qualitative researchers should engage in reflexive practices that consider researcher positionality in relation to research participants. Researchers need to pay attention to the possible implications of cultural competence on negotiating insider status and when gathering and analyzing data, similar to considerations of culturally relevant approaches in practical settings.

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Thinking About Data With Grounded Theory

Qualitative Inquiry ◽

10.1177/1077800418809455 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (8) ◽

pp. 743-753 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Kathy Charmaz ◽

Linda Liska Belgrave

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Grounded Theory ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Research Process ◽

Individual Responsibility ◽

Research Participants ◽

Self Sufficiency ◽

Access To Data ◽

Deductive Research

This article examines qualitative data in an era of neoliberalism and focuses on the place of data in grounded theory studies. Neoliberal values of individual responsibility, self-sufficiency, competition, efficiency, and profit have entered the conduct of research. Neoliberalism fosters (a) reifying quantitative logical-deductive research, (b) imposing surveillance of types and sources of data, (c) marginalizing inductive qualitative research, and (d) limiting access to data in grounded theory studies. Grounded theory relies on data and resists current efforts to abandon data. The method resides in the space between reifying and rejecting data. Data allow us to learn from the stories of those left out and permits research participants to break silences. Data can help us look underneath and beyond our privileges, and alter our views. Grounded theory is predicated on data, but how researchers regard and render data depends on which version of the method they adopt. We propose developing a strong methodological self-consciousness to learn how we affect the research process and to counter the subtle effects of neoliberalism.

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Embodied Research in Migration Studies

10.1332/policypress/9781447339069.001.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Elena Vacchelli

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Research Process ◽

Migrant Women ◽

Invasive Approach ◽

Post Colonial ◽

Research Participants ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Colonial Theory ◽

Embodied Research ◽

Definition Of

The definition of data in qualitative research is expanding. This book highlights the value of embodiment as a qualitative research tool and outlines what it means to do embodied research at various points of the research process. It shows how using this non-invasive approach with vulnerable research participants such as migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women can help service users or research participants to be involved in the co-production of services and in participatory research. Drawing on both feminist and post-colonial theory, the author uses her own research with migrant women in London, focusing specifically on collage making and digital storytelling, whilst also considering other potential tools for practicing embodied research such as yoga, personal diaries, dance, and mindfulness. Situating the concept of ‘embodiment’ on the map of research methodologies, the book combines theoretical groundwork with actual examples of application to think pragmatically about intersectionality through embodiment.

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Through a Glass, Darkly: Representation and Power in Research on Organized Abuse

Qualitative Sociology Review ◽

10.18778/1733-8077.9.3.08 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 152-166

Author(s):

Michael Salter

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Abuse ◽

Life History ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Research Participants

This paper draws on the author’s experience undertaking life history research with adults with histories of organized child sexual abuse. Organized abuse has been a particular flashpoint for controversy in debates over child abuse and memory, but it is also a very harmful and traumatic form of sexual violence. Research participants described how, in childhood, threats and trauma kept them silent about their abuse, but in adulthood this silence was reinforced by the invalidation that accompanied their efforts to draw attention to the harms that have befallen themselves and others. This paper will examine the role of qualitative research in addressing a form of alterity whose defining characteristic is the silencing and dismissal of narrative.

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Student’s Anticipation Profile at Rigor Level in Determining Papaya Tree Root Dimensions

Jurnal Didaktik Matematika ◽

10.24815/jdm.v8i1.19954 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 59-74

Author(s):

Erfan Yudianto ◽

Sunardi Sunardi ◽

Titik Sugiarti ◽

Feny Rita Fiantika

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Interview Data ◽

Tree Roots ◽

Geometric Problem ◽

Van Hiele ◽

Research Participants ◽

Geometric Thinking ◽

The Subject ◽

Papaya Tree

Students with a rigor level of geometric thinking can analytically solve problems, yet the ability may not be readily observable. Thus, an example of how students solve problems merits explorations. Inspired by student’s problem solving, this study aimed to examine the student’s anticipatory profile in determining Papaya tree roots' dimensions. This qualitative research utilized tests and interview. Two tests were carried out: van Hiele geometric level grouping test for selecting the research participants and the report-based test for the actual project. Seventeen students took the van Hiele test, and one of them, who achieved the rigor level, was selected for the interview. Data obtained from the interview were then analyzed qualitatively. The study showed that students with a rigor level of geometric thinking anticipated analytically. The subject was able to explain a geometric problem systematically, starting from analyzing problems, clarifying detailss, to presenting arguments clearly and precisely. The findings in this study generate useful information for teachers who train their students to analyze a geometric problem correctly and adequately.

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Students' Collaborative Writing Method in Pre-Writing Phase

IDEAS Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning Linguistics and Literature ◽

10.24256/ideas.v8i2.1615 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 471-482

Author(s):

Kartika Dewi Rahayu

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Data Collection ◽

Learning Process ◽

Collaborative Writing ◽

Teaching Writing ◽

English Teacher ◽

Writing Classes ◽

Reflective Journals ◽

Research Participants ◽

Descriptive Qualitative

In a pre-writing phase, students need their creativity to put ideas into words. Students need to use what they listen to and what they read as information to start to write. This study reports the findings on the implementation of the collaborative writing method by an English teacher in teaching writing in the pre-writing phase and students' perceptions in the pre-writing phase using the collaborative writing method. This research uses descriptive qualitative research. Participants in this study were nine students and teachers at SMK in Karawang. Data collection was carried out through reflective journals, interviews, and documentation. The results of the study found that the collaborative writing method was an effective method for use in writing classes. The collaborative writing method can be implemented in teaching writing in the pre-writing phase. The results showed that the students were very enthusiastic, interested, and made the learning process fast. Students' perceptions of learning to write in the pre-writing phase using the collaborative writing method are that students find it easier to express their thoughts in the learning process and there is cooperation in groups that accelerate the time when doing their assignments helps them during the learning process.

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How to navigate the application of ethics norms in global health research: reflections based on qualitative research conducted with people with disabilities in Uganda

BMC Medical Ethics ◽

10.1186/s12910-021-00710-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Muriel Mac-Seing ◽

Louise Ringuette ◽

Kate Zinszer ◽

Béatrice Godard ◽

Christina Zarowsky

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Data Collection ◽

Global Health ◽

Research Ethics ◽

Health Research ◽

People With Disabilities ◽

Global Health Research ◽

Research Participants ◽

Research Ethics Boards ◽

Study Participants

Abstract Background As Canadian global health researchers who conducted a qualitative study with adults with and without disabilities in Uganda, we obtained ethics approval from four institutional research ethics boards (two in Canada and two in Uganda). In Canada, research ethics boards and researchers follow the research ethics norms of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2), and the National Guidelines for Research Involving Humans as Research Participants of Uganda (NGRU) in Uganda. The preparation and implementation of this qualitative research raised specific ethical issues related to research participant privacy and the importance of availability and management of financial resources. Main body Our field experience highlights three main issues for reflection. First, we demonstrate that, in a global health research context, methodological and logistic adjustments were necessary throughout the research implementation process to ensure the protection of study participants’ privacy, especially that of people with disabilities, despite having followed the prescribed Canadian and Ugandan ethics norms. Data collection and management plans were adapted iteratively based on local realities. Second, securing financial support as a key aspect of financial management was critical to ensure privacy through disability-sensitive data collection strategies. Without adequate funding, the recruitment of research participants based on disability type, sex, and region or the hiring of local sign language interpreters would not have been possible. Third, although the TCPS2 and NGRU underscore the significance of participants’ privacy, none of these normative documents clearly express this issue in the context of global health research and disability, nor broadly discuss the ethical issue related to financial availability and management. Conclusions Conducting research in resource limited settings and with study participants with different needs calls for a nuanced and respectful implementation of research ethics in a global health context. We recommend a greater integration in both the TCPS2 and NGRU of global health research, disability, and responsible conduct of research. This integration should also be accompanied by adequate training which can further guide researchers, be they senior, junior, or students, and funding agencies.

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MEDIA ALTERNATIF SEBAGAI UPAYA PELESTARIAN DAN PENGENALAN BATIK MELALUI BONEKA TANGAN

Jurnal Penelitian Humaniora ◽

10.21831/hum.v24i1.15118 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mochamat Santoso ◽

Khairu Rahmah ◽

Putri Dewi Wahyuningsih ◽

Bonny Bhinastiti Aisyah Rachmawati

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Research Method ◽

Learning Materials ◽

Qualitative Research Method ◽

Research Participants ◽

Puppet Show ◽

To Receive ◽

Descriptive Qualitative

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan media alternatif sebagai upaya pelestarian dan pengenalan batik melalui boneka tangan untuk forum anak Surakarta. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian deskriptif kualitatif. Media yang akan dipakai dalam pengenalan motif batik ini didesain dan dimodifikasi dengan menambahkan unsur batik serta dengan sebuah cerita yang interaktif. Dalam penelitian ini, peserta juga dikenalkan dengan motif batik, diikutsertakan dalam pembuatan batik dan pementasan boneka tangan tersebut. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengenalan batik dan filosofinya dengan menggunakan media boneka tangan ini sesuai untuk anak-anak Forum Anak Surakarta. Pelatihan yang menyenangkan menggunakan media boneka tangan dapat membuat materi yang disampaikan dengan mudah diterima oleh anak-anak. Media bercerita dengan menggunakan boneka tangan membuat proses belajar lebih menyenangkan dan berguna untuk meningkatkan kepercayaan diri. Hasil yang dicapai antara lain peserta mampu mengetahui motif-motif batik dan filosofinya, memiliki kemampuan dalam membatik, mengembangkan kreativitas. Media boneka tangan juga memudahkan peserta menyerap pesan dan meningkatkan keberanian peserta.HAND PUPPETS AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEDIUM TO PRESERVE AND INTRODUCE BATIKThe objective of this study is to develop an alternative medium as an effort to preserve and introduce batik through the use of hand puppets within the Surakarta children's forum. Descriptive qualitative research method was used in this study. The puppets as the medium were designed and modified by adding batik elements depicting an interactive story which then were introduced to the research participants. These participants were also involved in the batik making process as well as in the puppet show. Findings of the study indicated that the introduction of batik and its philosophy of using hand puppets was suitable for the participants in Surakarta Children's Forum. Fun training using hand puppet medium enabled the children to receive the learning materials easily. In addition, storytelling using these puppets had created fun learning atmosphere and helped improve the children’s confidence. The results achieved included the participants’ capability in figuring out the motifs of batik and their philosophies, their ability to make batik, and their creativity improvement. The hand puppets medium also facilitated the children to absorb messages and increase their grits.

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