Reliability

The repeatability of a particular set of research findings; that is, how accurately they would be replicated in a second identical piece of research.

Originating from a positivist scientific tradition, this measure is arguably of limited relevance to qualitative research, since the experience of the researcher, and his/her professional but subjective interpretation of the research materials, is an essential part of qualitative method. Measures other than those derived from quantitative methods are generally accepted to be more appropriate to the assessment of quality in qualitative research.