Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE DOC6048

 
TITLE Validity and Reliability in Quantitative and Qualitative Research

 
UM LEVEL D - Doctoral Workshops/Symposium

 
MQF LEVEL Not Applicable

 
ECTS CREDITS Not Applicable

 
DEPARTMENT Doctoral School

 
DESCRIPTION Validity and reliability are two vital concepts in scholarly research. Validity refers to the accuracy of the results and the extent to which an instrument measures what it is supposed to measure. It therefore concerns the strength of the conclusions that are derived from the results. Reliability concerns the trust in the data obtained through an instrument, and therefore the extent to which any measuring tool is free from random error.

Doctoral researchers using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies would need to discuss the validity and reliability of their studies, and therefore of the instruments used in their research processes. During this workshop, participants will be made aware of the distinct philosophies underlying quantitative and qualitative research and their assumptions to ascertain the correct applicability of these concepts.

This workshop will address the key issues of quantitative research, with its assumption of objectivism that embraces realism so as to ensure that the study is valid, reliable, generalizable and reproducible. It will also address validity and reliability in qualitative research, which is based on subjective, interpretive and contextual data, with an emphasis on establishing credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. The findings of qualitative research must be convincing, coherent, consistent, relevant and trustworthy if they are to be meaningful.

Outcomes:

By the end of this workshop, doctoral researchers should be able to:

- define and explain the importance of validity, reliability, falsifiability, generalizability, and reproducibility in quantitative research;
- identify ways to examine validity and reliability in quantitative research;
- define validity and reliability in qualitative research;
- list strategies to improve validity and reliability in qualitative research.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Timetable Details - Please click here for further details.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Workshop

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Attendance No 100%

 
LECTURER/S Sandra Buttigieg

 

 
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It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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