Qualitative research is a growing field within philosophy. It is an area of philosophy focusing on empirical and experiential methods rather than traditional argumentative or logical methods. To better understand the scope, it is important to understand the criteria for evaluating the quality of qualitative research. Although some studies indicated that ethical considerations may influence research design decisions, the credibility and dependability assessments show that the research’s depth is focused on reality observation and interpretation.
The credibility of the research determines the trustworthiness of the research findings. It is identified by the consistency and reputation of the data collected and research analysis. Dependability refers to the reliability and consistency with which research can be replicated. It is recognized through its procedures providing sufficient information to allow for auditing. Credibility and dependability assessments show that the research’s depth is focused on the appropriateness of the data with adequate evidence to answer the question and that the procedure followed is described with enough details.
Ontological assumptions respond to the structure of reality. Ontology is the study of nature and reality (Abu-Alhaija, 2019). Ontological assumptions are the philosophical orientations that affect the way a researcher thinks about the world. The epistemological assumptions rely on studies in constructionism, which is a philosophical approach that ensures the knowledge is sufficient and legitimate. The credibility of a research study is said to have followed ontological and epistemological assumptions if the reality is observable and whether the knowledge is objective and measurable. In comparison, research is more dependable if it can be interpreted through different thoughts and meanings and if the meanings can operate in any consciousness.
The most common ethical issue in qualitative research is confidentiality. Qualitative research is reflective and may require in-depth data collection with critical information (Peters, 2019). Breach of confidentiality may lead to the compromise of research designs such as interviews and ethnography. A research topic is considered amenable if the data collected is meant to investigate behaviors for interpretation and comprehension. The data is usually collected verbally, and it is not measured.
References
Abu-Alhaija, A. S. (2019). From epistemology to structural equation modeling: An essential guide in understanding the principles of research philosophy in selecting the appropriate methodology. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES, 13(9). Web.
Peters, B. (2019). Qualitative methods in monitoring and evaluation: Ethical Considerations in qualitative research. American University Online. Web.