The merits of qualitative research remain an issue of
ongoing debate and investigation. Qualitative researchers emphasise
issues such as credibility, dependability, and transferability in
demonstrating the trustworthiness of their research outcomes. This
refers to the extent to which the research outcomes are conceptually
sound and serves as the basis for enabling other researchers to
assess their value. Carcary (2009) proposed trustworthiness in
qualitative inquiry could be established through developing a
physical and intellectual research audit trail – a strategy that
involves maintaining an audit of all key stages and theoretical,
methodological, and analytical decisions, as well as documenting how
a researcher’s thinking evolves throughout a research project. Since
2009, this publication has been cited in greater than 600 studies.
The current paper provides an analysis of the use and value of the
research audit trail, based on the author’s application of this
strategy across diverse research projects in the field of
Information Systems management over a ten year time period. Based on
a critical reflection on insights gained through these projects,
this paper provides an in‑depth discussion of a series of guidelines
for developing and applying the research audit trail in practice.
These guidelines advance existing thinking and provide practical
recommendations in relation to maintaining a research audit trail
throughout a research project. Based on these guidelines and the
core issues that should be covered at a physical and intellectual
research audit trail level, a checklist that can be tailored to each
project’s context is provided to support novice researchers and
those who are new to the research audit trail strategy. As such,
this paper demonstrates commitment to rigor in qualitative research.
It provides a practical contribution in terms of advancing
guidelines and providing a supporting checklist for ensuring the
quality and transparency of theoretical, methodological, and
analytical processes in qualitative inquiry. Embedding these
guidelines throughout the research process will promote critical
reflection among researchers across all stages of qualitative
research and, in tracing through the researcher’s logic, will
provide the basis for enabling other researchers to independently
assess whether the research findings can serve as a platform for
further investigation.
Ethical Issues of Fair Subject Selection in the Research
