Reconceptualizing the Member Check Interview

doi:10.1177/160940691301200105

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Reconceptualizing the Member Check Interview

Journal Article•DOI•

Reconceptualizing the Member Check Interview

Lori E. Koelsch¹•Institutions (1)

Duquesne University¹

01 Feb 2013-The International Journal of Qualitative Methods (SAGE Publications)-Vol. 12, Iss: 1, pp 168-179

TL;DR: The member check has been heralded as an important component of validation in qualitative research and has been used in order to assess the accuracy with which a researcher has represented a participant's subjectivity as discussed by the authors.

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Abstract: The member check has been heralded as an important component of validation in qualitative research. Traditionally, the member check has been used in order to assess the accuracy with which a researcher has represented a participant’s subjectivity. Some theorists, however, have argued that change, rather than representation, should be sought as a primary goal for qualitative research. The difference between using representation or change as a marker of validity has been described as a transactional/transformation divide. I argue that the member check can be utilised to span this divide in order to support a holistic view of validity. In particular, I assert that researchers should not expect participant subjectivities to remain static throughout the research process. Examples of the member check used in this manner are provided.

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자연주의적 탐구조사(Naturalistic Inquiry)

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유창조

01 Apr 2000

17,938 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Member Checking: A Tool to Enhance Trustworthiness or Merely a Nod to Validation?

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Linda Birt¹, Suzanne E. Scott², Debbie Cavers³, Christine Campbell³, Fiona M Walter¹ - Show less +1 more•Institutions (3)

University of Cambridge¹, King's College London², University of Edinburgh³

22 Jun 2016-Qualitative Health Research

TL;DR: Synthesized Member Checking addresses the co-constructed nature of knowledge by providing participants with the opportunity to engage with, and add to, interview and interpreted data, several months after their semi-structured interview.

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Abstract: The trustworthiness of results is the bedrock of high quality qualitative research. Member checking, also known as participant or respondent validation, is a technique for exploring the credibility of results. Data or results are returned to participants to check for accuracy and resonance with their experiences. Member checking is often mentioned as one in a list of validation techniques. This simplistic reporting might not acknowledge the value of using the method, nor its juxtaposition with the interpretative stance of qualitative research. In this commentary, we critique how member checking has been used in published research, before describing and evaluating an innovative in-depth member checking technique, Synthesized Member Checking. The method was used in a study with patients diagnosed with melanoma. Synthesized Member Checking addresses the co-constructed nature of knowledge by providing participants with the opportunity to engage with, and add to, interview and interpreted data, several months after their semi-structured interview.

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1,346 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Feedback from research participants: are member checks useful in qualitative research?

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David R. Thomas¹•Institutions (1)

University of Auckland¹

02 Jan 2017-Qualitative Research in Psychology

TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the literature mentioning member checks was conducted to identify the purposes and purposes of member checks and their application in qualitative research, and they concluded that member checks improve the credibility of qualitative research.

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Abstract: It is often assumed that use of so-called “member checks” improves the credibility of qualitative research. Published literature mentioning member checks was reviewed to identify the purposes and p...

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329 citations

Cites background or methods from "Reconceptualizing the Member Check ..."

...(Koelsch 2013, p. 169) An often-stated purpose for using member checks is the correction of bias or misinterpretations made by researchers and ensuring accuracy and authenticity in representing participants’ experiences (Fossey et al. 2002; Kornbluh 2015)....
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...In participatory research strategies member checks are usually planned as part of the overall data collection (Koelsch 2013)....
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...…member checking (Cho & Trent 2006; Creswell 2000; Guba & Lincoln 1989; Koelsch 2013; Lincoln & Guba 1985; Tracy 2010) ● Member validation (Bloor 1997; Koelsch 2013) ● Respondent validation (Barbour 2001; Mays & Pope 2000; Tong et al. 2007) ● Member reflections (Tracy 2010) ● Interviewee…...
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...(Koelsch 2013, p. 176) Another type of change described is member checks leading to psychological benefits or “therapeutic” outcomes for research participants....
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...● Member checks, member checking (Cho & Trent 2006; Creswell 2000; Guba & Lincoln 1989; Koelsch 2013; Lincoln & Guba 1985; Tracy 2010) ● Member validation (Bloor 1997; Koelsch 2013) ● Respondent validation (Barbour 2001; Mays & Pope 2000; Tong et al. 2007) ● Member reflections (Tracy 2010) ●…...
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Journal Article•DOI•

Exploring the Function of Member Checking

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Amber G. Candela¹•Institutions (1)

University of Missouri–St. Louis¹

24 Mar 2019-The Qualitative Report

TL;DR: The experiences of two participants in a qualitative case study are provided and it is argued how member checking should be used as a reflective space for participants.

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Abstract: Member checking is commonly used in qualitative research as a means to maintain validity; however, little has been published about the effects the member checking process may have on participants. In this article, I provide the experiences of two participants in a qualitative case study and argue how member checking should be used as a reflective space for participants.

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95 citations

Cites background or methods or result from "Reconceptualizing the Member Check ..."

...…of creating trustworthiness in qualitative research (Creswell & Miller, 2000; Lincoln & Guba, 1986; Stake, 1995); despite its ubiquity, there is very little written about member checking outside of it being an item to be crossed off a research project’s task list (Hallett, 2013; Koelsch, 2013)....
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...Koelsch (2013) suggests the member check was not just...
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...There is a counter argument to member checking as causing harm where researchers have found the member checks and participant interviews to be similar to therapy for the participants (e.g., Doyle, 2007; Harper & Cole, 2012; Koelsch, 2013; Ortiz, 2001)....
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...Koelsch (2013) suggests the member check was not just a place to determine if the researcher got the analysis right, but also a place where the participants reflected on their participation in the study and how their participation affected their thoughts and behaviors....
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..., Harper & Cole, 2012; Koelsch, 2013; Ortiz, 2001), there is a lack of research in how member checking affects participants in the field of education. According to Ortiz (2001), in-depth interviews with participants provided “cathartic opportunities for selfrevelation and introspective opportunities for self-discovery, both of which may possibly contribute the potential for transformation in self and identity” (p....
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Journal Article•DOI•

"Maybe if I stop the drugs, then maybe they'd care?"-hospital care experiences of people who use drugs.

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Soo Chan Carusone¹, Adrian Guta², Samantha Robinson³, Darrell H. S. Tan⁴, Curtis Cooper⁵, Bill O’Leary³, Karen de Prinse, Grant Cobb, Ross E.G. Upshur³, Ross E.G. Upshur⁶, Carol Strike³ - Show less +7 more•Institutions (6)

McMaster University¹, University of Windsor², University of Toronto³, St. Michael's Hospital⁴, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute⁵, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute⁶

13 Feb 2019-Harm Reduction Journal

TL;DR: Drug use was experienced as a barrier at all stages of hospital care and interventions to decrease stigma and improve consistency and approach to pain management are necessary to improve the quality of care and care experiences of those who use drugs.

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Abstract: Drug use is associated with increased morbidity and mortality but people who use drugs experience significant barriers to care. Data are needed about the care experiences of people who use drugs to inform interventions and quality improvement initiatives. The objective of this study is to describe and characterize the experience of acute care for people who use drugs. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study. We recruited people with a history of active drug use at the time of an admission to an acute care hospital, who were living with HIV or hepatitis C, in Toronto and Ottawa, Canada. Data were collected in 2014 and 2015 through semi-structured interviews, audio-recorded and transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Twenty-four adults (18 men, 6 women) participated. Participants predominantly recounted experiences of stigma and challenges accessing care. We present the identified themes in two overarching domains of interest: perceived effect of drug use on hospital care and impact of care experiences on future healthcare interactions. Participants described significant barriers to pain management, often resulting in inconsistent and inadequate pain management. They described various strategies to navigate access and receipt of healthcare from being “an easy patient” to self-advocacy. Negative experiences influenced their willingness to seek care, often resulting in delayed care seeking and targeting of certain hospitals. Drug use was experienced as a barrier at all stages of hospital care. Interventions to decrease stigma and improve our consistency and approach to pain management are necessary to improve the quality of care and care experiences of those who use drugs.

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81 citations

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References

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Open Access

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Journal Article•DOI•

Naturalistic inquiry: Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1985, 416 pp., $25.00 (Cloth)

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"Reconceptualizing the Member Check ..." refers background in this paper

...Lincoln and Guba (1985) described the member check as an optimal means of assessing the validity of a qualitative study because the first step of many qualitative projects is to accurately understand the participant’s worldview....
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...Validity There have been numerous attempts to create, modify, and synthesize criteria for validity in qualitative research (e.g., Creswell & Miller, 2000; Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995; Lather, 1995; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Parker, 2004; Stiles, 1993; Whitmore, Chase, & Mandle, 2001)....
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...The Member Check The member check, also known as member validation (e.g., Seale, 1999), can be described as a research phase during which “the provisional report (case) is taken back to the site and subjected to the scrutiny of the persons who provided information” (Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 236)....
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Book•

Ethnography: Principles and Practice

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Martyn Hammersley¹, Paul Atkinson²•Institutions (2)

Cardiff University¹, Open University²

01 Jan 1983

TL;DR: Features include the selection and sampling of cases, the problems of access, observation and interviewing, recording and filing data, and the process of data analysis.

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Abstract: Acknowledgements Preface 1. What is ethnography? 2. Research design: problems, cases, and samples 3. Access 4. Field relations 5. Insider Accounts: listening and asking questions 6. Documents 7. Recording and organizing data 8. The process of Analysis 9. Writing Ethnography 10. Ethics References Index

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9,547 citations

"Reconceptualizing the Member Check ..." refers background in this paper

...Validity There have been numerous attempts to create, modify, and synthesize criteria for validity in qualitative research (e.g., Creswell & Miller, 2000; Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995; Lather, 1995; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Parker, 2004; Stiles, 1993; Whitmore, Chase, & Mandle, 2001)....
[...]

Journal Article•DOI•

Determining Validity in Qualitative Inquiry

[...]

John W. Creswell¹, Dana L. Miller²•Institutions (2)

Johns Hopkins University¹, Doane College²

01 Jan 2000-Theory Into Practice

TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the importance of good qualitative data to improve Eduational practice, and propose a method to determine validity in qualitative inquiry in the context of theory into practice.

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Abstract: (2000). Determining Validity in Qualitative Inquiry. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 39, Getting Good Qualitative Data to Improve Eduational Practice, pp. 124-130.

...read moreread less

8,399 citations

"Reconceptualizing the Member Check ..." refers background in this paper

...Validity There have been numerous attempts to create, modify, and synthesize criteria for validity in qualitative research (e.g., Creswell & Miller, 2000; Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995; Lather, 1995; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Parker, 2004; Stiles, 1993; Whitmore, Chase, & Mandle, 2001)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Verification Strategies for Establishing Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research

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Janice M. Morse¹, Michael Barrett², Maria Mayan³, Karin Olson¹, Jude Spiers¹ - Show less +1 more•Institutions (3)

University of Alberta¹, University of Cambridge², International Institute of Minnesota³

01 Jun 2002-The International Journal of Qualitative Methods

TL;DR: The authors argue that qualitative researchers should reclaim responsibility for reliability and validity by implementing verification strategies integral and self-correcting during the conduct of inquiry itself, which ensures the attainment of rigor using strategies inherent within each qualitative design, and moves the responsibility for incorporating and maintaining reliability and validation from external reviewers' judgements to the investigators themselves.

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Abstract: The rejection of reliability and validity in qualitative inquiry in the 1980s has resulted in an interesting shift for "ensuring rigor" from the investigator’s actions during the course of the research, to the reader or consumer of qualitative inquiry. The emphasis on strategies that are implemented during the research process has been replaced by strategies for evaluating trustworthiness and utility that are implemented once a study is completed. In this article, we argue that reliability and validity remain appropriate concepts for attaining rigor in qualitative research. We argue that qualitative researchers should reclaim responsibility for reliability and validity by implementing verification strategies integral and self-correcting during the conduct of inquiry itself. This ensures the attainment of rigor using strategies inherent within each qualitative design, and moves the responsibility for incorporating and maintaining reliability and validity from external reviewers’ judgements to the investigators themselves. Finally, we make a plea for a return to terminology for ensuring rigor that is used by mainstream science.

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4,980 citations