Table 2.

Steps taken to establish rigour in qualitative research [29]

Bradshaw et al.’s criteria of rigour	Activities undertaken
Credibility	Establish rapport The interviewer initially contacted participants via phone or email to arrange interviews, providing an opportunity to develop rapport. Additionally, during the interviews, the interviewer favoured developing rapport and maintaining a conversational interview rather than sticking strictly to the interview guide. The interviewer used interview prompts and showed empathy which assisted participants to feel comfortable and freely discuss their experiences Member checking As participants were receiving care for an advanced diagnosis, we did not invite them to verify their manuscript transcriptions. However, at the end of each interview, the interviewer summarised what had been discussed and was given the opportunity to clarify any discrepancies or expand on any aspects of their interview
Confirmability	Audit trail Notes on each interview were recorded during the interview by the interviewer, and a reflective journal was kept in which the interviewer reflected on how the interviews unfolded and progressed Reporting of results Participant demographics were reported. The development of themes was reported in methods, and the quotes to represent each theme were also reported
Dependability	Audit trail As mentioned, an audit trail was maintained to document interview progress Project management A protocol was developed which detailed the planned methodology and analyses
Transferability	Sampling The sampling strategy was purposeful, as participant demographics were monitored during recruitment and oncologists were asked to invite participants with differing characteristics throughout recruitment to try and ensure a diverse range of participants Reporting of methodology The COREQ reporting checklist was used to ensure adequate detail concerning the methodology was provided in the manuscript [30]