ABSTRACT
Access to reliable and trustworthy records of the stories as told by individuals is the cornerstone of validity and reliability. The concept of validity has largely been narrowed down by formal science as referring to tests or measuring instruments that aim to produce certainty. In narrative-based research, validity is more concerned with the research being well grounded and supportable by the data that has been collected. Prevailing concepts of verification and procedures for establishing validity pertain to realist assumptions and consequently are largely irrelevant to narrative studies. Y. S. Lincoln and E. G. Guba suggested transferability as an ‘analog to external validity’. Added to the range of aspects and concepts related to validity and reliability in narrative research are associated ethical issues, which should always be considered when undertaking any data analysis. Approaches commonly applied to qualitative data may not suit narrative inquiry. Triangulation, for instance, is a tool that qualitative researchers use to satisfy the validity of their research.
