Research findings must pass validation and reliability tests before they are accepted. Researchers use qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods to carry out their studies. In all the methods, researchers will collect data, analyze it and interpret it. For a research interpretation to be credible, it must be transferrable to other contexts and settings. Thus, researchers have to inform their target audience of the context of their research to facilitate transferability. Qualitative research measures an ever-changing context. Thus, the researcher has to explain how any change in the research environment affects the research results. With every new research, some new facts appear. It is the task of the researcher to present the findings’ ways of corroboration with other studies (Trochim, 2006b).
Essentially the measurement of how research is reliable has to do with consistency and repeatability. Different research methodologies present challenges for measuring reliability. Therefore, reliability is only estimated. To confirm the validity of their studies, researchers use a variety of methodologies. First, researchers use triangulation to corroborate their findings and ensure that the results are as generalizable as possible. With triangulation, a researcher concurrently uses different methodologies such as qualitative and quantitative for complimentary purposes (Trochim, 2006a).
Barkema, Baum, and Mannix (2002) conducted qualitative research on research developments taking place in the 21st century. The researchers collected their data from existing research findings. The research methodology employed in this research is qualitative. The inquiry is ontological because it refers to an existing generalization about the research topic. The researchers use an explanatory approach to establish their findings. The research establishes themes emerging from a literature review of previous research to come up with an interpretation of the trends that emerge. Similarly, the researchers use the findings to explain the implications to the management research. Thus, the research is purely ontological.
Scandura and Williams (2000) conducted quantitative research to compare management research in two periods. The authors read and coded methods used for analysis in the research reports that they studied. Then the researchers grouped similar techniques. Lastly, they conducted data analysis on the categories. Furthermore, the researchers also tested their results to measure their reliability. They conducted a difference in proportions test and came up with heterogeneity indexes. They presented their findings as a triangulation using different variables. In addition, they validated their data for internal, external, construct, and statistical purposes. Using the quantitative methodology, the researchers interpreted their data to approve their hypothesis. Therefore, this research is epistemological.
Barkema, Baum, and Mannix (2002) validate their study by describing the context to make it generalizable. They also use other research findings to corroborate their findings. The thorough description of the context serves to make the research dependable. The use of other researches to explain the context of the research and validate the findings makes the research transferable to other similar contexts. The researchers explain the current setting of management research using globalization, which makes the research findings applicable to current realities. This study uses a casual comparative design and thus makes a credible extrapolation.
On the other hand, Scandura and Williams (2000) triangulate their findings and evaluate validity on different aspects using a quantitative formula. The use of quantitative formulas makes the research repeatable in another context. The researchers also present their quantitative methodology used to obtain their findings to validate the research externally. The study settings are other researches done in two different periods. Therefore, they represent knowledge available on the subject of research in the given periods. Lastly, this study is experimental. Its epistemological approach serves to validate its findings internally.
References
Barkema, H. G., Baum, J. A., & Mannix, E. A. (2002). Management challenges in a new time. Academy of Management Journal, 45(5), 916-930.
Scandura, T. A., & Williams, E. A. (2000). Research methodology in management: current practices, trends and implications for future reseach. Academy of Management Journall, 43(6), 1248-1264.
Trochim, W. M. (2006a). Introduction to validity. Web.
Trochim, W. M. (2006b). Reliability & validity. Web.