Question

Which of the following represents an audit trail?

a. a team of researchers keeps a detailed recollection of their research process, including participant recruitment materials, focus group guides, transcribed focus groups (with changes from member checks), data analysis materials (e.g., code book and detailed process), and generated themes. someone external to the team reviews these materials to look for any problems or issues.
b. a researcher engages in an armchair walkthrough to help plan a coherent
c. researchers have some expectation about the performance of participants and are in a position to assess performance, their knowledge of the study could influence their judgment on the way they respond to participants. this may lead to coercing the participants.
d. a researcher maintains prolonged engagement with participants to enhance the quality of the research. sustained time at the research site can help participants feel more natural in the presence of the researcher, while also allowing researchers to check their own perceptions.

Answer 1

An audit trail is represented by option (a), where a research team keeps detailed records of their process, allowing for external review and verification.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which of the following represents an audit trail. The correct answer is (a), where a team of researchers keeps a detailed recollection of their research process, which involves archival research methods and allows for someone external to the team to review these materials for any problems or issues. This encompasses maintaining records such as recruitment materials, focus group guides, transcribed focus groups, and data analysis materials like a code book. Having this detailed process documented creates an audit trail, which is essential for verifying the research methodology and ensuring integrity of the data and findings.