Audit Trail Gaps Make Qualitative Research Unreliable
Qualitative research depends on trustworthiness, not statistical generalization. When researchers omit key components of an audit trail, reviewers cannot see who decided what, when, and why. As a result, credibility, dependability, and confirmability weaken—even when the dataset is rich and quotes appear compelling. A rigorous audit trail acts as the study’s backbone. It links raw … Read more