What is the purpose of a peer debriefing process?

First, consider that any given qualitative research study involves a multitude of aspects, each of which require meticulous and thoughtful planning. These aspects include the following:

• sampling strategy
• informed consent process
• data collection methods
• data collection equipment
• analytical techniques
• presentation of findings

This is a lot to consider and this can potentially overwhelm any researcher. There are also countless other occurrences that arise during the course of research that you may not anticipate (e.g., an incomplete disclosure occurs while obtaining informed consent, or the presence of video editing tools may raise questions about an experiment involving video data). Given the endless possibilities in naturalistic inquiry, expecting one researcher to account for every eventuality during the course of a study might be too much to ask. Now think about the kind of help you can get from your colleagues and other researchers. They might have relevant background information pertaining to a research context that you might lack. Their outsider perspective can provide feedback regarding how can your research explain your main points. Maybe they can point you to some further reading on the topic you are researching. Or perhaps they have expertise in writing practices to help explain the world around us through research.

What is an example of debriefing?

Peer debriefing is especially useful in studies that involve data collection with human subjects. Take a study about pallative care, for example. The informed consent process for patients, who are facing terminal illnesses, and their friends and family can be fraught with challenges. How do you conduct interviews in a way that doesn't lead to participant psychological discomfort? Perhaps there is a novel approach to interviews that you wish to take, but the employment of such techniques raises special issues that might require advice from a colleague familiar with the approach. One use of a peer debriefing process is to bring in that colleague who can review the entire process of interview data collection with you, making sure that you don't deceive participants or otherwise adversely affect the data collection process. A peer debriefing with colleagues who can guide your research can not only give feedback on the theories and methods involved to establish the necessary research rigor but also discuss best practices so you understand what your IRB expects and avoid any ethical pitfalls common in human subjects research.