Consistency of Findings Produced by Two Multidisciplinary Research Teams

Abstract

This article examines the consistency of research findings between two multidisciplinary research groups, which conducted independent analyses of interviews with 63 middle school students about their beliefs related to violence. The question addressed by this methodological study was: Is the consensus process so robust that it transcends disciplines (i.e. individuals from different disciplines inter-acting in multidisciplinary teams) to produce consistent findings? One group analyzed transcripts of interviews. Another group analyzed audiotapes (without typed transcripts). In spite of the different methods used by the two groups, and differences in the structure of the descriptive outcomes of each group's analysis, the content of findings was consistent. This suggests that there was internal reliability even with the diverse disciplinary perspectives involved in the analysis and interpretation of data.

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