Caroline Bradbury-Jones, Fiona Irvine and Sally Sambrook consider the use of member checks to improve the rigour of phenomenological research

Steps to enhance the rigour of qualitative research are much debated in nursing research. Prolonged engagement in the field, maintaining a journal and member checks (participant feedback) can help with this. This paper examines the latter, principally as we have been intrigued by the opposing viewpoints of nurse scholars regarding this matter. A process of critically analysing our research practice, coupled with an exploration of available literature has led to some clarity on the issue, as shared here.