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Reliability and Validity

Student Name
Program Name or Degree Name (e.g., Master of Science in Nursing), Walden University
COURSE XX: Title of Course
Instructor Name
Month XX, 202X
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Sources for Data Quality Issues That Could Negatively Impact a Doctoral Research Study

The importance of data quality in research can not be understated. The quality of data

collected during research affects the accuracy of a study. There are a number of things that could

affect the quality of data in a study (Hassenstein & Vanella, 2022). Saunders et al. (2016)

identified four threats to the quality of data in research, which are participant error, researcher

bias, researcher error, and participant bias. Participant errors are things that severely affect the

behavior of participants in the data collection process (Saunders et al., 2016). An example of this

would be interviewing participants when they are tired which might lead to errors in the data

provided by the participants. Researcher bias is any factor that produces bias when a researcher

is taking a record of participant responses (Saunders et al., 2016). For example, a researcher with

a preconceived notion about a phenomenon might end up experiencing researcher bias during

data collection if the researcher allows this preconceived notion to affect how data is recorded.

Researcher error occurs when certain factors negatively affect the accuracy of the interpretation

of the researcher during data collection (Saunders et al., 2016). For example, the sickness of a

researcher may lead to errors in data collection from research participants. Participant biases are

factors that induce a wrong response from a participant (Saunders et al., 2016). For example, a

participant under duress during a data collection process might end up producing false responses

as a result of undue influence from certain parties.

In an article on data quality by Hassenstein & Vanella (2022), they highlighted some of

the things that could affect the quality of data in research. One of these things was the length of

the questionnaire. It has been observed that a lengthy questionnaire leads to less detailed

responses as compared to a long questionnaire broken and served in smaller installments

(Hassenstein & Vanella, 2022). This can be viewed as an example of participant error. Another
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factor affecting data quality is questionnaire mode. This refers to how the questions are

administered. For example, a face-to-face interview might lead to better rapport between

participant and interviewer compared to self-administered questionnaires. This might reduce

social desirability bias because of the friendliness established during communication

(Hassenstein & Vanella, 2022). Social desirability bias is a form of participant bias where

participants tend to provide answers that are seen as favorable by other people (Krumpal, 2013).

For example, in a company, workers might want to report good things when there are negative

occurrences, but a good rapport with an interviewer can cause them to open up compared to a

self-administered interview.

Importance of Reliability and Validity Within a Doctor of Business Administration

Doctoral Research Study

Reliability and validity are very important in a research study. They help to test the

quality of a research study. Reliability helps to show that if the activities of a study, for example,

the data collection process, were repeated, the same results would be obtained (Yin, 2018). For

example, an instrument used to measure student motivation should produce the same result when

a particular participant is observed repeatedly in the same scenario. The test for validity can be

broken down into three parts, external validity, internal validity, and construct validity. External

validity shows if the result of a research study can be generalized, internal validity (a term only

relevant to explanatory studies) tests if a cause-and-effect relationship identified in a study is

legitimate, not spurious, while construct validity tests if the operational measures used in a study

are appropriate for the phenomenon being examined (Yin, 2018). In general, validity deals with

the accuracy of the findings in a study (Cypress, 2017). For example, measuring employee
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performance when employee motivation was the concerned phenomenon of the study is not a

valid study.

Validity and reliability are concepts that are used to measure quality in quantitative

research (Heale & Twycross, 2015). There are analogous criteria used to measure quality in

qualitative research. These are transferability, confirmability, credibility, and dependability

(Morse, 2015). Confirmability in qualitative research is concerned with to what extent can the

findings of a research study can be verified by other researchers. It ensures the results are clearly

derived from data (Korstjens & Moser, 2017). Dependability in research entails the ability to get

the same results of a study if it is repeated in the exact manner it was carried out (Moon et al.,

2016). For example, a study on student motivation should produce the same results when it is

repeated using the same procedures and performed in the same environment. Credibility deals

with how true and accurate the findings of a study are (Morse, 2015). For example, a study on

student motivation should measure student motivation accurately and not student performance.

Transferability in research deals with generalizability. Transferability has to do with how true are

the findings of a study when the same population under concern is examined but a different

sample is used (Morse, 2015). For example, a qualitative research study on student motivation in

Nigerian schools that used two schools in northeast Nigeria has transferability if its results can be

used in schools in southern Nigeria. In general, the concepts of transferability, confirmability,

credibility, and dependability help to ensure quality in qualitative research (Korstjens & Moser,

2017). A quality doctoral study would be useful in society. If the study is of high quality, its

results would have some application in the area of concern (Corea & Molligoda, 2017).
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How Reliability and Validity Can Be Achieved Within the Doctoral Research

Process

Ensuring validity and reliability in a qualitative study would mean adhering to the

concepts of transferability, confirmability, credibility, and dependability (Morse, 2015).

Achieving credibility in research can be done through prolonged engagement, triangulation,

persistent observation, and member checks. As mentioned above, one of the ways of achieving

credibility is member checks, this involves the researcher sending the data and conclusion

obtained from a research study back to the participants of the study to see their perspectives, this

helps to improve the accuracy of the research as the participants and researchers have different

perspectives (Korstjens & Moser, 2017). For example, a study on employee motivation might

send its results to the workers examined to see their opinion on the result of the findings to see if

they agree with the observations. Confirmability and dependability can be achieved by creating

an audit trail and by using triangulation (Morse, 2015). Creating an audit trail for a research

study involves describing in detail the steps taken during the research process from the beginning

to the end (Korstjens & Moser, 2017). This would help other researchers verify the research. For

example, a researcher showing how the data collection process was carried out in detail, would

help another researcher verify the authenticity of data used in a study. The use of thick

descriptions in research promotes transferability (Morse, 2015). Explaining in detail the

procedures of a research study including its context would ensure improved transferability.
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References

Corea, E., & Molligoda, H. (2017). Research quality. Journal of the Postgraduate Institute of

Medicine, 4(2), 60. https://doi.org/10.4038/jpgim.8176

Cypress, B. S. (2017). Rigor or reliability and validity in qualitative research: Perspectives,

strategies, reconceptualization, and recommendations. Dimensions of Critical Care

Nursing, 36(4), 253–263. https://doi.org/10.1097/dcc.0000000000000253

Hassenstein, M. J., & Vanella, P. (2022). Data quality—concepts and problems. Encyclopedia,

2(1), 498–510. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010032

Heale, R., & Twycross, A. (2015). Validity and reliability in quantitative studies. Evidence

Based Nursing, 18(3), 66–67. https://ebn.bmj.com/content/ebnurs/18/3/66.full.pdf

Korstjens, I., & Moser, A. (2017). Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. part 4:

Trustworthiness and publishing. European Journal of General Practice, 24(1), 120–124.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1375092

Krumpal, I. (2013). Determinants of social desirability bias in sensitive surveys: A literature

review. Quality & Quantity, 47(4), 2025–2047. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-011-9640-

Moon, K., Brewer, T. D., Januchowski-Hartley, S. R., Adams, V. M., & Blackman, D. A. (2016).

A guideline to improve qualitative social science publishing in ecology and conservation

journals. Ecology and Society, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.5751/es-08663-210317

Morse, J. M. (2015). Critical analysis of strategies for determining rigor in qualitative inquiry.

Qualitative Health Research, 25(9), 1212–1222.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315588501
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Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2016). Research Methods for Business Students (7th

ed.). Pearson Education Limited.

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Sage

Publications, Inc.