Using Context to Build Rigor

Abstract

There is no single guideline to assist researchers in creating high quality research within qualitative methods. This article proposes that rigor requires both a determination of actual or possible vulnerabilities and strategies that begin with an examination of the study itself rather than with a predetermined list of standardized practices. Two studies demonstrate how an inductive approach to rigor conducted within the framework of a particular qualitative approach, e.g. hermeneutic phenomenology, can produce greater thoroughness and understanding of a paradigm's epistemological assumptions. The studies include the lived experience of survivors of homicide victims, and women in substance abuse recovery.