1. Chapter 3 Striving for Integrity in the Research Process Zina OLeary

2. The Importance of Integrity Responsibility and integrity should be paramount in research considerations. This includes integrity in the production of knowledge and integrity in dealing with research participants. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

3. Assessing Credibility Rather than selecting indicators strictly by paradigm, researchers should consider underlying challenges and critically determine appropriate indicators. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

4. Assessing Credibility Good questions for assessing credibility are: have subjectivities been managed? are methods approached with consistency? has true essence been captured? are findings applicable outside the immediate frame of reference? can the research be verified? Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

5. Managing Subjectivities Recognizing and balancing subjectivities is central to integrity in knowledge production. If this is not done, researchers risk conducting: self-centric analysis being insensitive to issues of race, class, or gender hearing only the dominant voice. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

6. Managing Subjectivities Objectivity - conclusions based on observable phenomena; not influenced by emotions, personal prejudices, or subjectivities Neutrality - subjectivities recognized and negotiated in a manner that attempts to avoid biasing results / conclusions Subjectivity with transparency - acceptance and disclosure of subjective positioning and how it might impact the research process, including conclusions drawn. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

7. Consistency in Methods Reliability - concerned with internal consistency, that is, whether data / results collected, measured, or generated are the same under repeated trials Dependability - accepts that reliability in studies of the social may not be possible, but attests that methods that are systematic, well documented, and designed to account for research subjectivities. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

8. Capturing True Essence The truth is out there Fox Mulder vs. There are no facts, only interpretations Nietzsche Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

9. Capturing True Essence Validity - concerned with truth value, that is, whether conclusions are correct. Also considers whether methods, approaches and techniques actually relate what you are exploring Authenticity - concerned with truth value while recognizing that multiple truths may exist. Also concerned with describing the deep structure of experience/ phenomenon in a manner that is true to the experience. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

10. Applicability of Findings Generalizability - whether findings and/ or conclusions from a sample, setting, or group are directly applicable to a larger population, a different setting, or to another group Transferability - whether findings and/ or conclusions from a sample, setting, or group lead to lessons learned that may be germane to a larger population, a different setting, or to an other group. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

11. Verifying Research Reproducibility - concerned with whether results/ conclusions would be supported if the same methodology was used in a different study with the same/ similar context Auditability - accepts the importance of the research context and therefore seeks full explication of methods to allow others to see how and why the researchers arrived at their conclusions. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

12. Integrity and the Researched Integrity and the researched refers to responsibility for the dignity and welfare of research participants. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

13. Integrity and the Researched Legal obligations - include the design of studies not in breach of the law. Researchers must also consider their obligation to report illegal activities Moral obligations - relate to societal norms that protect research participants. These include conscientious decision making, equity and honesty through full disclosure. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage

14. Research Ethics Ethical obligations - refers to professional codes of practice designed to protect the researched from an unethical process, and in turn protect the researcher from legal liabilities. Key issues include informed consent, causing no harm and a right to privacy Official ethics approval - will ensure integrity, promote responsibility towards participants, and protect both the researcher and the granting institution from legal ramifications. Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage