Ensuring rigour and trustworthiness in a qualitative study : a reflection account

The reflections reported on here are based on a study that investigated social workers’ perceptions of key influences to effective collaborative child protection decision making and practice. The study drew on evidence from a constructivist-interpretivist qualitative research design; involving semistructured interviews with qualified and experienced social workers and from direct, non-participant, observations of child protection meetings. In line with the focus of this reflective account, a number of strategies were adopted to ensure rigor and trustworthiness throughout this qualitative study. Evidence from the study suggests that, apart from the multilevel relationship, organisational, and external influences, child protection decision-making does not rely entirely on the threshold criterion of the likelihood and significance of risk of harm. Instead, professionals use a combination of discretionary intuition and analytical judgement when making decisions. Conclusions drawn from the study include that, existing guidance on decision-making is inadequate. This study, contributed to considerable conceptual clarity regarding the complex child protection decision-making process