Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>A critical element of research is the trustworthiness of the process. Although all methodological approaches have to confront the possibility of distortion (bias), qualitative research methodology handles this issue through a unique lens. Qualitative research positions the researcher as the research instrument, thereby acknowledging and accepting subjectivity, not fighting against it. Because of this, some question the rigor and validity of such subjectivity. In this chapter, we show how rigor can be threatened at each stage of the qualitative research process, and how researchers can ensure trustworthiness, so that in an investigation, the data gathered through research can accurately represent the desired phenomenon and/or an individual’s experience of that phenomenon.</jats:p>