Reconceptualizing the Member Check Interview

By Lori E. Koelsch. 2013

490 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The member check has been heralded as an important component of validation in qualitative research. Traditionally, the member check has been used in order to assess the accuracy with which a researcher has represented a participant's subjectivity. Some theorists, however, have argued that change, rather than representation, should be sought as a primary goal for qualitative research. The difference between using representation or change as a marker of validity has been described as a transactional/transformational divide. I argue that the member check can be utilized to span this divide in order to support a holistic view of validity. In particular, I assert that researchers should not expect participant subjectivities to remain static throughout the research process. Examples of the member check used in this manner are provided.

Subfields: Education, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f0815544fe5c208194dc935f227af7e3de638b0a

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Education

1. Amber G. Candela
2. D. Thomas
3. Brett W. Smith
4. Kerry R. McGannon

In Sociology and Political Science

1. Amber G. Candela
2. D. Thomas

Citations in the corpus

• Feedback from research participants: are member checks useful in qualitative research? (2017, methodology): “(Koelsch 2013, p. 169) An often-stated purpose for using member checks is the correction of bias or misinterpretations made by researchers and ensuring accuracy and authenticity in representing participants’ experiences (Fossey et al. 2002; Kornbluh 2015).”
• Exploring the Function of Member Checking (2019, methodology): “…of creating trustworthiness in qualitative research (Creswell & Miller, 2000; Lincoln & Guba, 1986; Stake, 1995); despite its ubiquity, there is very little written about member checking outside of it being an item to be crossed off a research project’s task list (Hallett, 2013; Koelsch, 2013).”