The Trustworthiness of Content Analysis

Abstract

This chapter aims to present criteria for trustworthiness. Qualitative researchers commonly have different opinions about which criteria are the best for evaluating trustworthiness. However, the current consensus is that credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability, and authenticity are the five most relevant terms for determining the trustworthiness of research. This chapter will explain what each of these criteria mean, and will demonstrate how they can be applied to research that includes content analysis. Briefly, credibility can be defined as confidence in the ‘truth’ of the findings. Transferability means that the findings are also applicable in other contexts, while dependability indicates that the findings are consistent and could be replicated. Confirmability describes the degree of neutrality or, in other words, the extent to which the findings of a study reflect the respondents’ opinions and experiences rather than the researchers’ biases, motivations, or interests. Authenticity is concerned with the ability of researchers to accurately depict the diverse realities that exist in the data collected from participants.