Demystifying Member Checks in Qualitative Research: Purposes, Approaches, and Common Challenges

• In Event: Interrogations of Movement and Purpose in Qualitative Method and Methodology

Abstract

Member checking – the process of sharing data or findings with participants before finalizing a study – is a common practice in qualitative research. Yet there is much confusion, particularly among novice researchers, about what member checking involves, what purposes it serves, and what challenges researchers may encounter when conducting member checks. The purpose of this analysis is to demystify the member checking process by synthesizing methodological perspectives on the topic. Specifically, this paper presents the results of a review of methodological literature on member checking to explain: (1) the purposes of member checking in qualitative research; (2) approaches to conducting member checks; (3) challenges researchers may face when conducting member checks; and (4) how a researcher might address those challenges.

Author

• Rebecca S. Natow, Hofstra University
  Presenting Author