Sampling is purposive, not random, and often involves interviewing 30 to 50 people or less. The less frequently reported in research reports. Reliability refers to the internal consistency and relative stability of findings over time. Unlike traditional measurement, reliability is not assessed by correlation coefficients or percent agreement. Nonetheless, reliability is quite important in qualitative studies, though less frequently reported in research reports.
Reliability refers to the internal consistency and relative stability of findings over time.
It also involves triangulating data from different points of view. Increasingly, in field studies, researchers will give copies of the results to participants to see if they have gotten the story right. They can then use footnotes to indicate where the participants feel questions of fact or interpretation are not correct. The researcher does not have to change his interpretations, but should not divergent views from respondents. One of the biggest problems with qualitative research is data reduction.