ABSTRACT
This chapter describes some of the specific techniques that qualitative researchers use to establish the dependability and trustworthiness of their data. To triangulate data for a qualitative study that examines gender differences in professional behavior in an employment setting, a researcher might interview employees and other groups, such as supervisors and the human resources personnel responsible for hiring. In the analysis of qualitative data, the members of a research team should initially work out some basics for coding the themes in the data and then work independently to code a sample of the data. Member checking can include participants in meaningful ways, but it is important to prepare for this inclusion so that it damages neither the integrity of the research nor the rapport with participants. Member checking can be fraught with problems if introduced without a clear plan, or late in the analysis process when conflicts between the researcher and participant outlooks could create dilemmas to completing the project.
