Evaluation of a clinical program. Applying the concept of trustworthiness

Abstract

The criteria of trustworthiness developed by Guba (1981) can be utilized to both plan and judge evaluations within the naturalistic inquiry paradigm. This article (1) describes the process and results of a study done to evaluate an educational program developed to increase faculty-student contact in a clinical clerkship, (2) applies the criteria of trustworthiness to the evaluation methodology, and (3) identifies some issues and problems that may affect an evaluator's ability to apply the criteria of trustworthiness as completely as theoretically desirable.