La innovación con uso de TIC y la configuración de sujetos

accurately as possible, so that a greater understanding of their perspectives of QOL could be achieved. Such is the subjective nature of this research that ensuring rigour calls for different approaches from those used in quantitative research. To demonstrate the study is rigorous, trustworthiness must be established (Koch, 1994). According to Holloway and Wheeler, (1996) trustworthiness is a crucial concept in evaluating qualitative

research. A key part of this concept is what Sandelowski (1986) originally referred to as the decision trail and this was later supported by Koch (1994). The decision trail

provides succinct evidence to the reader of the different choices and decisions the researcher made throughout all stages of the research process.

When evaluating qualitative research the traditional criteria used to critique a quantitative approach is deemed inappropriate (Holloway & Wheeler, 1996). Utilising such criteria as validity and reliability that Minichiello, Aroni, Timewell, and Alexander (1990) refer to as the objectivity of the study, would be incongruent with this study's philosophical and theoretical commitment. Different assumptions underpin quantitative and

qualitative methods, therefore a different set of criteria is called for to evaluate each type of research. Holloway and Wheeler (1996) argued against using such criteria as validity and reliability to evaluate qualitative research and presented four alternatives based on the original work of Guba and Lincoln (1985, 1989). The four criteria, credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability as presented by Holloway and Wheeler

(1996) are used to ensure rigour in this study. These will form the foundation to demonstrate both trustworthiness and the decision trail of this study.

3.3.1 Credibility

To establish credibility in a study the researcher must ensure that participants of the study are accurately described (Holloway & Wheeler, 1996). The participants in this study were described in section 3.2.2. To improve or embellish credibility Holloway and Wheeler (1996) discussed peer debriefing as a means to evaluate data analysis and findings. As part of peer debriefing, the researcher’s supervisor provided regular

guidance of the data analysis process to ensure the necessary steps were taken to establish trustworthiness of the research process.

3.3.2 Transferability

Transferability refers to how the findings from a representative sample can be generalised to the whole group. However, in qualitative research it is not about finding out the distribution of a phenomenon in a population but rather understanding it (Holloway & Wheeler, 1996). Firstly, to meet this criterion it is important to state the characteristics and settings of the participants. The researcher chose a purposeful sample for this study, that is all the participants had undergone an ABCT. However, as argued by Holloway and Wheeler (1996) this cannot justify the transferability of the findings to other groups. To enable the reader to decide if the case or cases described in a particular setting can be transferred to another setting, a detailed account of the theoretical framework of the study must be provided by the researcher. The reader must be able to follow the researcher’s

decision trail. Heideggerian phenomenology was chosen as the theoretical framework for this research. Heideggerian phenomenology uncovers the everydayness of people’s lives so that the mundane QOL activities that often go unnoticed will be illuminated. This is discussed in section 3.1. The method and technique of analysis is discussed in section 3.2.4. From this, it is apparent that the cases presented in this study’s setting can be transferred to similar settings where the person is confronted with a life threatening or life altering illness. The preliminary findings of this research were presented to the

‘International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care Conference’ held in Jerusalem in 1998, the ‘International Council of Nurses Conference’ held in London in 1999, the ‘School of Nursing‘s Research Colloquial Meeting’ held in November 1998 at Victoria University, Melbourne and also to the ‘Cancer Nurses Society of Australia - Winter Congress’ held in Melbourne, June 2001. The audiences commented on how meaningful and relevant the findings were to their practice because it both personalised and broadened their understanding of the illness experience.

3.3.3 Dependability

Dependability refers to ensuring that the procedures used in the research process have followed acceptable standards. As Holloway and Wheeler (1996) emphasised this relates to the concept of the decision trail. In this study the researcher has succinctly discussed the decisions taken on theoretical, methodological and analytical choices, as outlined in sections 3.1 and 3.2.4.

3.3.4 Confirmability

The final criterion used to establish the rigour and trustworthiness of this study was confirmability. Confirmability refers to the assessment made by the reader that the study’s findings come directly from the data (Holloway & Wheeler, 1996). In this study, to ensure accurate representation of the participant's narratives each interview was tape- recorded as unobtrusively as possible and all interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed through three interpretational strategies as outlined by Leonard (1989), and previously discussed in section 3.2.4. Emerging themes and patterns of meaning were identified. Written notes were recorded on the latter and these formed the beginning of the analysis trail. Both the researcher and the principal investigator frequently returned to this data source. This enabled the supervisor to follow the trail used in the analysis process and to challenge the interpretations and ensure the findings were a true

representation of the data. Confirmability was achieved by providing adequate excerpts from the texts to support the development of themes and exemplars.

The four criteria presented above as outlined by Holloway and Wheeler (1996) provided the basis to establish the trustworthiness of this study.