articleProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer InteractionNov 7, 2019BRONZE OA

Reliability and Inter-rater Reliability in Qualitative Research

NMNora McDonaldSSSarita SchoenebeckAFAndrea Forte

Drexel University · University of Michigan

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Abstract

What does reliability mean for building a grounded theory? What about when writing an auto-ethnography? When is it appropriate to use measures like inter-rater reliability (IRR)? Reliability is a familiar concept in traditional scientific practice, but how, and even whether to establish reliability in qualitative research is an oft-debated question. For researchers in highly interdisciplinary fields like computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and human-computer interaction (HCI), the question is particularly complex as collaborators bring diverse epistemologies and training to their research. In this article, we use two approaches to understand reliability in qualitative research. We first investigate and…

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1,097
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3

Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Reliability (semiconductor)
  • Computer-supported cooperative work
  • Qualitative research
  • Computer science
  • Inter-rater reliability
  • Variety (cybernetics)
  • Psychology
  • Management science
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