Which practice most directly supports confirmability by allowing traceability?

Which practice most directly supports confirmability by allowing traceability?

• A. Audit trail
• B. Triangulation
• C. Reflexivity
• D. Member checking

Answer: (A)

Confirmability hinges on making findings traceable to the data so others can verify how conclusions were reached. The audit trail directly supports this by preserving a transparent record of data collection, coding decisions, analytic notes, and the evolution of interpretations. This enables an external reviewer to follow the path from raw data to final conclusions, strengthening auditability. While triangulation uses multiple data sources or methods to bolster credibility, reflexivity focuses on the researcher’s biases, and member checking involves participants validating findings; none provide the same explicit, step-by-step traceability as an audit trail.

Confirmability hinges on making findings traceable to the data so others can verify how conclusions were reached. The audit trail directly supports this by preserving a transparent record of data collection, coding decisions, analytic notes, and the evolution of interpretations. This enables an external reviewer to follow the path from raw data to final conclusions, strengthening auditability. While triangulation uses multiple data sources or methods to bolster credibility, reflexivity focuses on the researcher’s biases, and member checking involves participants validating findings; none provide the same explicit, step-by-step traceability as an audit trail.