Ensuring Validity and Reliability

Validity and reliability ensures the value, coherence and foundation of research, as well as whether it is valid and reliable enough to warrant attention. This study ensures validity and reliability with particular methods and practices which are discussed comprehensively in the following sub-sections. The particular form of language used while the researcher asks questions and collects answers can have an impact on the analysis of data (Beresford, 1997). Furthermore, if the interviewer and interviewee do not have the same mother tongue this can also cause issues (Green et al., 2004). The

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researcher, being native Arabic-speaker, gathered information in the UAE which is an Arabic-speaking nation, thus avoiding any language barriers and ensuring the validity of findings.

5.4.1 Triangulation

The procedure of triangulation offers a more extensive knowledge of a subject and enables verification of the research validity by approaching it from a range of different perspectives, involving the application of multiple research tools in the same research process. Moreover, as mentioned by Sarantakos (2005), it is possible to apply triangulation at any stage of the research process. Methodological triangulation can be either between methods and/or within methods and is deemed by Flick (2008) to be the most widely used type of triangulation. Unlike the use of a single technique, triangulation enhances the quality of research due to the use of more than one method (Maxwell, 2005). In particular, case studies benefit greatly from the application of triangulation as a multi-source basis increases their credibility and accuracy (Yin, 2003). It is achieved in this study through the use of multiple data collection methods, like interviews, focus groups, and document analysis, which are the most widely employed triangulation types. In accordance to suggestions made by several scholars (Flick, 2008; Green and Thorogood, 2008; Sim and Sharp, 1998; Yin, 2003), comprehensive triangulation (Flick, 2008), also known as multiple triangulation (Sim and Sharp, 1998) is applied in this study.

Furthermore, data triangulation is designed to investigate the same phenomena in different periods and locations as well as with different participants. This study also achieves data triangulation through the use of multiple case studies. To create a systematic triangulation of perspectives, distinct perspectives can be employed, like an interpretative approach (conversation analysis) and a reconstructive approach (interview). This study applies the multiple triangulation strategy, which involves the use of multiple triangulation types (Mays and Pope, 2000), such as data are obtained via semi-structured interviews, observations, documentation and focus groups. The case study data analysis techniques suggested by Miles and Huberman (1994) and Yin (2003) are applied in the analysis section of this study.

In order to verify research validity and reliability, this research conducts credibility triangulation (Mays and Pope, 2000); it also facilitates enhancing the value of this

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research. This study also employs a range of methods and procedures, including member checks, conformability, reflexivity, and dependability.

5.4.2 Member Checks

To enhance the credibility of a research, the observations made by research participants should be considered, as members’ validation can contribute significantly to certify the reliability of acquired data prior to advancing with the research (Bryman and Bell, 2007). Based on this strategy, the understanding of the acquired data can be revised, clarified and augmented. This strategy has been applied in this study through summarising the most important points made by the participants following each interview, and sending a complete interview transcript to obtain a final ratification. This eliminated several inconsistencies that occurred whilst collecting data.

5.4.3 Conformability

According to Bryman and Bell (2007), the aim of validation is to make sure that the researcher enhances research objectivity as much as possible and presents results based solely on the gathered data and not on his/her personal beliefs and theoretical persuasions. By employing validity and reliability procedures, the research must be able to present to readers its ideas underpinned by an unbroken chain of evidence (Yin, 2003). The latter allows following of the evolution of the research from preliminary questions to final case study conclusions (Yin, 2003). In order to preserve the chain of evidence, this research followed a sequence of stages, from case study questions, case study protocol, involving the association of questions with protocol subjects, reference to particular sources of evidence in the case study, to the final case study report. In addition, maintaining a chain of evidence is also reflected in the capacity to trace the research retrospectively, from end to start (Robson, 2002).

5.4.4 Reflexivity

Maxwell (2005) noted that awareness of the potential biased influence of the researcher on the research process implies an approach to eliminate such bias to prevent it from minimising research credibility. Moreover, Mays and Pope (2000) suggests reflexivity as one of the quality criteria for qualitative researches. For this purpose, the researcher identified and monitored all interventions and responses during the acquisition of data.

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To ensure that data accurately reflected real life and the experiences of participants, the responses of the participants and those of the researcher were clearly separated.

5.4.5 Dependability

For research to be considered dependable, consistency of the criteria for validity and reliability and the research process must be demonstrated. Moreover, the research must be proven to be accessible for auditing and reliability checks ( Bryman and Bell, 2007). Research reliability is achieved by proper documentation in every procedure and research stage, as well as by reiteration, meaning that the same results must be obtained if the same procedures are re-applied. To achieve this, the researcher prepared and maintained all documentation regarding data collection and analysis, available digitally for examination. Moreover, to enhance research dependability, the researcher formulated a case study protocol, encompassing every procedure and approach that was adopted during data collection, and providing accessibility to all raw data and case study reports (Yin, 2003) thus making the data collection and the analysis considerably more reliable.