Table 1 Criteria for the evaluation of the qualitative research papers
1) | Are the methods of the research appropriate to the nature of the question being asked? |
|---|---|
2) | Is the connection to an existing body of knowledge or theory clear? |
3) | Is the selection of cases or participants theoretically justified? |
4) | Is the choice of the employed instrument justified? |
5) | Is the instrument or the procedure to construct it carefully described? |
6) | Are there clear accounts of the data collection? |
7) | Was the data collection and record keeping systematic? |
8) | Has the relationship between fieldworkers and subjects been considered? |
9) | Is there evidence that the research was presented and explained to its subjects? |
10) | Is there evidence about how the subjects perceived the research? |
11) | Is reference made to accepted procedures for analysis? |
12) | How systematic is the analysis? |
13) | Is the evidence available for independent examination? |
14) | Is there adequate discussion of how themes, concepts and categories were derived from the data? |
15) | It is sometimes inevitable that externally given or predetermined descriptive categories are used, but have they been examined for their real meaning or any possible ambiguities? |
16) | Is a clear distinction made between the data and their interpretation? |
17) | Is there adequate discussion of the evidence both for and against the researcher's arguments? |
18) | Have measures been taken to test the validity of the findings? |
19) | Is the research clearly contextualised ? |
20) | Are the data presented systematically? |
21) | Though the presentation of the discursive data is always going to require more space than numerical data, is the paper as concise as possible? |
22) | Are the results credible and appropriate? |
23) | Have ethical issues been adequately considered? |