Rigor in Qualitative Social Work Research: A Review of Strategies Used in Published Articles

Authors: Barusch, Amanda; Gringeri, Christina; George, Molly

Source: Social Work Research, Volume 35, Number 1, March 2011 , pp. 11-19(9)

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Abstract:

This study was conducted to describe strategies used by social work researchers to enhance the rigor of their qualitative work. A template was developed and used to review a random sample of 100 articles drawn from social work journals listed in the 2005 Journal Citation Reports: Science and Social Sciences Edition. Results suggest that the most commonly applied strategies were use of a sampling rationale (67%), analyst triangulation (59%), and mention of methodological limitations (56%); the least common were negative or deviant case analysis (8%), external audit (7%), and specification of ontology (6%). Of eight key criteria, researchers used an average of 2.0 (SD = 1.5); however, the number used increased significantly between 2003 and 2008. The authors suggest that for this trend to continue, social work educators, journal editors, and researchers must reinforce the judicious application of strategies for enhancing the rigor of qualitative work.

Keywords: QUALITATIVE METHODS; RESEARCH METHODS; RIGOR; SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2011-03-01

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Social Work Research publishes exemplary research to advance the development of knowledge and inform social work practice. Widely regarded as the outstanding journal in the field, it includes analytic reviews of research, theoretical articles pertaining to social work research, evaluation studies, and diverse research studies that contribute to knowledge about social work issues and problems.
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