Research involves the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods. These methods are used together or interdependently to help understand a particular phenomenon. Qualitative and quantitative methods exhibit fundamental differences in the way data is collected and analyzed. Qualitative research bases its attention on human feelings, thoughts and behavior; this means it approaches the subject matter from the perspective of the meaning people give to it (Guba, Lincoln, & Denzin, 1994). On the other side, quantitative research collects numerical data which can later be given meaning by leveraging statistical analysis tools. The aim is to obtain measurable data that can be used to draw facts regarding the subject matter. In both types of research, there are principles that the researcher should follow to ensure that the conclusion they draw from the study is close to the reality.
One of the elements of good research that the researcher should apply is rigor. Rigor is more or less a measure of the quality of the research conducted; if the research process is rigorous, the outcomes of the study will have validity, accuracy and trustworthiness. Rigor in research involves leveraging tools, methods, and techniques that maximize the chances of obtaining data that will reliably address the research questions. Other research elements that are closely related to rigor are validity, trustworthiness and reliability. Reliability is a measure of the consistency of the research findings if the research were to be repeated several times (Nobel & Smith, 2015). Validity, on the other hand, is a measure of the accuracy of the research findings (Drost, 2011). Lastly, trustworthiness in research encompasses credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability of the research findings. Confirmability is the level of the researcher’s confidence in the research findings; transferability is a measure of how applicable the research findings are to other similar contexts; dependability shows how consistent the results of the research would be with those of other researchers on the same subject matter; confirmability is a measure of free from bias the study is.
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Validity, reliability, and trustworthiness are essential research elements; this is because most studies are based on real data, and the findings will, therefore, be scrutinized by different parties. Furthermore, when the research is rigorous, the outcomes will be resourceful to the intended users and other researchers. There are three types of reliability in research: internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and inter-rater reliability. There are four types of validity: face validity, content validity, discriminant validity, and criterion validity (Kimberlin & Winterstein, 2019). Validity, reliability, and trustworthiness of research can be increased in different ways; these ways include increasing the number of control variables, bettering the measurement methods, leveraging randomization to reduce bias, and using placebos.
In conclusion, though qualitative and quantitative methods apply in different data collection and analysis techniques, they both aim at helping the researcher understand the phenomenon in question better. For the findings of the study to be resourceful to the users and other researchers, the research must be rigorous. In addition to that, the research findings should have high degrees of trustworthiness, reliability, and validity.
References
Drost, E. A. (2011). Validity and reliability in social science research. Education Research and perspectives , 38 (1), 105
Guba, E. G., Lincoln, Y. S., & Denzin, N. K. (1994). Handbook of qualitative research. Califónia: Sage , 105-117
Kimberlin, C. L., & Winterstein, A. G. (2008). Validity and reliability of measurement instruments used in research. American journal of health-system pharmacy , 65 (23), 2276-2284
Noble, H., & Smith, J. (2015). Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research. Evidence-based nursing , 18 (2), 34-35
