Checklists for improving rigour in qualitative research: a case of the tail wagging the dog?
BMJPublished 5 May 2001
Rosaline S. Barbour
Citations2,557
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TL;DR
It is argued that there is no substitute for systematic and thorough application of the principles of qualitative research and technical fixes will achieve little unless they are embedded in a broader understanding of the rationale and assumptions behind qualitative research.
Abstract
Checklists can be useful improving qualitative research methods, but overzealous and uncritical use can be counterproductive Reducing qualitative research to a list of technical procedures (such as purposive sampling, grounded theory, multiple coding, triangulation, and respondent validation) is overly prescriptive and results in “the tail wagging the dog” None of these “technical fixes” in itself confers rigour; they can strengthen the rigour of qualitative research only if embedded in a broader understanding of qualitative research design and data analysis Otherwise we risk compromising the unique contribution that systematic qualitative research can make to health services research.
Keywords
Social SciencesHealth Professions
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