Quality in Qualitative Research

Spencer et al. (2003) were commissioned to produce a report for UK government's Cabinet Office that aimed to provide a framework for assessing the quality of evaluation research studies that derived from qualitative investigations. Although their report focused upon evaluation research, they drew on considerations relating more generally to qualitative research, so that their scheme has a relevance beyond evaluation research.

The authors produced what is probably the most comprehensive list of criteria around. Here are the criteria that they suggest should be used when appraising the qualitative research study:

1. How credible are the findings?

2. Has knowledge / understanding been extended by the research?

3. How well does the evaluation address its original aims and purposes?

4. Scope for drawing wider influences - how well is this explained?

5. How clear is the basis of the evaluation appraisal?

6. How defensible is the research design?

7. How well defended is the sample design/ target selection cases/documents?

8. Sample composition / case inclusion - how well is the eventual coverage described?

9. How well has the approach to, and formulation of, the analysis been conveyed?

10. How well has diversity of perspective and content been explored?

11. Contexts of data sources - how well are they retained and portrayed?

12. How ell has diversity of perspective and content been explored?

13. How well has detail, depth and complexity (richness?) of the data been conveyed?

14. How clear are the links between data, interpretation and conclusions - i.e. how well can the route to any conclusions be seen?

15. How clear and coherent is the reporting?

16. How clear are the assumptions / theoretical perspectives/values that have shaped the form and output of the evaluation?

17. What evidence us there of attention to ethical issues?

18. How adequately has the research process been documented?

References

Spencer, L., Ritchie, J., Lewis,J., and Dillon, L. (2003). Quality in Qualitative Evaluation: A framework for Assessing Research Evidence. London: Government Chief Social Researcher's Office.