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Research trustworthiness

When conducting any kind of research, it is important both for the author and the reader that the study is credible and worthy of trust. This section was written in hopes of establishing that credibility and earning the trust of the reader. To establish the trustworthiness of qualitative research there are four different dimensions that should be considered. These are credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability (Shenton, 2004). The following section aims to explain these dimensions and also seeks to explain how these will be utilized throughout the course of the study.

Credibility

The first dimension is in relation to internal validity, this means that it seeks to ensure that the researcher examines and investigates what is actually intended for the study. In other terms, the research method, being interview questions in the case of this thesis, needs to accommodate for answers that lie in agreement with what the purpose of the study is (Shenton, 2004). In order to achieve credibility for the research of this thesis, all interview questions have been derived from the research questions previously stated in the introduction. They have also thusly been designed with the theoretical framework in section two as a base. The selection of respondents for this research has also been conducted in a way that ensures the maximal possible relevance, accuracy and quality of the information in regards to the research purpose.

Transferability

The second dimension relates to the research’s external validity, which is concerned with to what extent the result of one study can be applied to other situations. Usually this can be explained as demonstrating that the findings of a particular study can be applied to a wider population, even when the sample size is relatively small. Some researchers argue that qualitative research with a limited sample size never can lead to a base for generalization. Others believe that even though each case may be unique in nature, they can still provide insight and broader application and should thus not mean direct rejection of possibility of transfer. There are also arguments that if enough contextual information is provided in the study, others should have the ability to utilize it in similar situations (Shenton, 2004). Since this study is conducted on a relatively broad subject that can be applied to many situations, there may not be a greater need for contextual information in this case. Because of this, the transferability of this study should be adequate or even satisfactory.

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Dependability

The third dimension addresses the issue of whether the study can produce similar results if replicated in the same context, with the same methods and with the same participants (Shenton, 2004). In the context of this thesis, the results should be the same unless there are some fundamental changes in the mechanics of how information spreads on the internet. This can mean things like new social media sites emerging that utilize completely new concepts which changes the core of how people use the internet to communicate. A change like this seems highly unlikely in the near future since the current leading social media sites are so deeply ingrained in the way people utilize the web in today’s online environment.

Confirmability

The fourth and final dimension is based on the notion that research should not be influenced by the researcher’s biases and own perceptions of a topic. This means that to ensure the objectivity of the research, it must ensure that all results are findings based on the information given by the source (Shenton, 2004). The interviews conducted throughout the study for this thesis were all designed to not lead the participants to certain conclusions or answers but to instead encourage them to think for themselves. The objective of the data collection is to get a professional’s perspective and opinion on marketing frameworks both viral and regular. To do this, there can be no influence from the author. The respondents were also given a week’s time to answer the interview questions in order to really get the chance to give a reply of the highest quality and detail.

1. Introduction
1.1 Background .
1.2 Problem discussion
1.3 Research questions
1.4 Purpose
1.5 Delimitations
1.6 Definitions
2. Literature and theory
2.1 Viral marketing
2.2 Relevant Marketing Frameworks
2.3 Summary of the theory
3. Methodology
3.1 Research philosophy
3.2 Research approach
3.3 Research design
3.4 Research methods
3.5 Data collection
3.6 Research trustworthiness .
4. Empirical study .
4.1 Interview 1 – Tim Lindqvist
4.2 Interview 2 – Danny Pedersen
4.3 Interview 3 – Andreas Jansson
4.4 Interview 4 – ‘Participant Four’
5. Analysis .
5.1 Theories and framework
6. Conclusion
7. Discussion and Future Research