Table 1.

Tenets of Trustworthiness

Tenet of trustworthiness	Qualitative methodology example	Strategies in this study
Credibility (internal validity)	Use of standard grounded theory procedure Scrutiny Confidence in the truth of the study	Grounded theory methodology justified Prolonged engagement Reflexivity Use of analytic tools to help prevent bias from influencing study Member checking employed
Dependability (reliability)	Assessment of the quality of the: -data collection -data analysis -conceptual model/theory generation	Weekly team data analysis meetings Strict grounded theory methodology in an apprentice model with grounded theorist Audit trail employed Certified outsourced transcriptionist
Confirmability (objectivity)	Findings supported by the data Analysis is representative	Reflexivity Memo-writing employed Participant quotes support findings Member checking employed
Authenticity	Range of realities evident Realistically conveys participants’ reality	Participants with a range of experiences Rich, detailed descriptions
Transferability (generalizability)	Applicable to other settings Readers can associate the results with their own experiences	Dense descriptions of study context and assumptions Transparency

Notes: Trustworthiness refers to the degree of confidence in the data interpretation and methods used to ensure the quality of the study. This is equivalent to rigor in quantitative methods. This table provides the five tenets of trustworthiness as classically developed by Lincoln and Guba (1985), with the analogous quantitative rigor assurance in parentheses following the tenet of trustworthiness.