ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the criteria for high-quality research. Whatever the method and methodology used in the research strategy, there are certain considerations that need to be addressed, often explicitly, in the work. The chapter covers the following: validity, including ensuring the research actually does what it claims to do; reliability, meaning making sure data is trustworthy; and ten thoughts concerning good practice, applicable to any research method. While the focus of the validity concerns may change, validity of the appropriate form remains a crucial marker of high-quality inquiry. In qualitative research, reliability can be even more challenging to assess. In the creation of qualitative data, the judgment and interpretation of the researcher play the same role as the test or other standardized measure in the creation of quantitative data. The process of ensuring consent can seem like a very clunky part of a research study, creating a formalized relationship between the researcher and the participant.
