By implementing rigorous techniques, maintaining transparency, and practicing reflexivity throughout the research process, qualitative research can achieve credibility and make significant contributions to diverse disciplines of study.

Lincoln and Guba (1985) rely on four general criteria in their approach to trustworthiness. These are credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

When reporting qualitative results, the researcher will highlight and comment on the themes that emerge from the analysis. These comments will often be illustrated with excerpts from the raw data. In text based studies, this may comprise quotations from primary sources.

To validate qualitative data, it is essential to analyze it in a systematic and transparent way. This could involve using suitable methods and techniques for your data type and research question, such as thematic analysis, grounded theory, or narrative analysis. Software or tools such as NVivo, Atlas.