An integrated framework for ensuring quality in qualitative case study research
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12645402 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nagarajah Agilan (0009-0007-2595-2437, Division of Human Resource Management, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-13 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Qualitative Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1443-9883 • E-ISSN: 1448-0980 |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1108/qrj-11-2025-0427 |
| OpenAlex | W7142661501 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 49 |
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated framework to enhance the trustworthiness of qualitative case study research. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts a critical review of methodological literature concerning the quality criteria advocated by positivists and interpretivists, before presenting an integrated framework. Findings The integrated, phase-based conceptual framework, synthesising salient quality dimensions and the associated measures, reflects how the interdependent dimensions of initiation, design, execution and assessment enhance trustworthiness of a qualitative case study, given the diverse set of circumstances in which the qualitative researcher operates. Practical implications The proposed framework and the accompanying checklist enable the qualitative researchers, particularly the novice and early career researchers, to be transparent and consistent in adhering to quality standards, thereby enhancing the credibility of the qualitative case study research. Originality/value The discourse on whether to apply positivist criteria to naturalist inquiry or to embrace stand-alone criteria has left researchers conducting qualitative research with the existing positivist criteria concerning validity and reliability or the alternative corresponding criteria put forward by interpretivists. By moving away from the criteria debate and conceiving quality as fitness for purpose, this paper contributes to current discourse on ensuring quality in qualitative case study research via presenting an integrated framework
Checklist · Conceptual framework · Credibility · Interdependence · Positivism · Qualitative research · Quality (philosophy · Set (abstract data type · Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research · Qualitative Research Methods and Applications · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
Thinking Qualitatively
Does Sample Size Matter in Qualitative Research?
Reporting and Justifying the Number of Interview Participants in Organization and Workplace Research
Memoing in qualitative research
Epistemological and methodological bases of naturalistic inquiry
Building Theories from Case Study Research
Qualitative research
Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects
How can we reform research ethics management to make it fit for purpose
The methods of reflexivity
Saturation
Ethical Dilemmas in Qualitative Research
Do you see what I see? Enhancement of rigour in qualitative approaches to inquiry
Quality in qualitative research
Define, Explain, Justify, Apply’ (Deja)
Three Approaches to Case Study Methods in Education
Qualitative Case Study Guidelines
Demystifying Qualitative Data Analysis for Novice Qualitative Researchers
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Naturalistic inquiry
Quality and trustworthiness in qualitative research in counseling psychology
Criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of naturalistic inquiries
Qualitative Research Designs
Critical Analysis of Strategies for Determining Rigor in Qualitative Inquiry
Sample Size in Qualitative Interview Studies
Determining Validity in Qualitative Inquiry
Evaluating and Rethinking the Case Study
Proposing the 'Miracle' Narrative Framework for Providing Thick Description in Qualitative Research
The Qualitative Case Study Research Strategy as Applied on a Rural Enterprise Development Doctoral Research Project
Case Study Method
Is that what I Said?' Interview Transcript Approval by Participants
Redefining Case Study
Qualitative Quality
Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research
Evaluating Ethnography
Inter-Rater Reliability Methods in Qualitative Case Study Research
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |