Walter F.M., Birt, L., Cavers, D., Scott, S., Emery, J., Burrows, N., Cavanagh, G., Mackie, R., Weller, D., & Campbell, C. what mine looked a (2014) ‘This isn’t like’: qualitative study of symptom appraisal and help seeking in people recently diagnosed with melanoma. 4(7), 1-2 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005566. BMJ Open, Table 1 Examples of different types of member checking Method of Epistemological Theoretical issues Method Ethical issues member stance checking Returning Positivist: Appropriate for checking Need to return Participant transcribed Implies there is a truth factual information. transcripts relatively distress when verbatim value in the quickly while see the spoken Could enable the addition transcripts spoken/written word interview still fresh in word in typed of new data (Forbat & memory form. Could enable participant to Henderson, Could return Can retrigger delete the data they no 2005; Carlson transcript using paper memories of longer wish to have used 2010) or electronic disturbing thereby changing the data methods, or audio events set tapes Member check Enables shared discussion of Transcript could be Concerns for interview –using returned prior to the participant safety the interview transcript the transcript Can co-construct new interview reduced as the Interview focuses on (Doyle, 2007) meaning and validate Need to re-consent researcher confirmation, modification previous the participant present and verification of interview interpretations Coercion as it Additional cost for text might be hard to further transcribing Could enable the addition and time to analysis disagree with of new data researcher’s Losing participants to Need to undertake further interpretation in follow-up analysis of member check their presence interview Member check Interpretive Each participant receives Need to have Concerns for interview – using researcher’s interpretation undertaken sufficient participant safety analyses of single of their interview analysis to prepare reduced as the participant’s data for sharing. researcher Interview focuses on
Walter F.M., Birt, L., Cavers, D., Scott, S., Emery, J., Burrows, N., Cavanagh, G., Mackie, R., Weller, D., & Campbell, C. (2014) ‘This isn’t what mine looked like’: a qualitative study of symptom appraisal and help seeking in people recently diagnosed with melanoma. BMJ Open, 4(7), 1-2 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005566. Table 1 Examples of different types of member checking Method of member checking Epistemological stance Theoretical issues Method Ethical issues Returning transcribed verbatim transcripts (Forbat & Henderson, 2005; Carlson 2010) Positivist: Implies there is a truth value in the spoken/written word Appropriate for checking factual information. Could enable the addition of new data Could enable participant to delete the data they no longer wish to have used thereby changing the data set Need to return transcripts relatively quickly while interview still fresh in memory Could return transcript using paper or electronic methods, or audio tapes Participant distress when see the spoken word in typed form. Can retrigger memories of disturbing events Member check interview –using the transcript (Doyle, 2007) Can co-construct new meaning and validate previous interpretations Enables shared discussion of the interview transcript Interview focuses on confirmation, modification and verification of interview text Could enable the addition of new data Need to undertake further analysis of member check interview Transcript could be returned prior to the interview Need to re-consent the participant Additional cost for further transcribing and time to analysis Losing participants to follow-up Concerns for participant safety reduced as the researcher present Coercion as it might be hard to disagree with researcher’s interpretation in their presence Member check interview – using analyses of single participant’s Interpretive Each participant receives researcher’s interpretation of their interview Interview focuses on Need to have undertaken sufficient analysis to prepare data for sharing. Concerns for participant safety reduced as the researcher