Which question best assesses the credibility of a qualitative study?

The question that best assesses the credibility of a qualitative study is the one that asks whether the participants recognize the experience as their own. Credibility in qualitative research is fundamentally tied to the authenticity and validity of the participants' experiences as they are represented in the study. When participants acknowledge that the experiences captured in the research reflect their own, it suggests that the findings resonate with the real-life contexts and meanings they live out. This recognition enhances the trustworthiness of the study, as it indicates that the researchers successfully captured the essence of the participants’ perspectives.

In qualitative research, the subjective experience of participants is central. If their perspectives are recognized as reflective of their own realities, it bolsters the notion that the study’s findings have genuine relevance and can provide valuable insights into the phenomenon being studied.

While the other questions touch on important aspects of research integrity and rigor, they focus on different dimensions. Analyzing data and protecting human subjects are critical components for ensuring ethical research practices and sound methodologies, but they do not directly assess the credibility of the findings in terms of participants' lived experiences. The applicability of findings outside the study situation relates to external validity, which, while important, does not directly speak to the credibility of the study itself as understood through participant