The demonstration of the rigour or trustworthiness of a qualitative
study is essential so that readers can make a judgement of the
value of the study. Guba and Lincoln’s (1989) criteria for trustworthiness
were used to maintain the rigour of this study. As
mentioned earlier, auditability is one of these criteria. The use of an
established and clearly described method for the thematic analysis
enables this to be demonstrated in this article. Credibility and
confirmability are also considered to be key components of trustworthiness,
as described by Guba and Lincoln (1989). The use of
direct quotations from the questionnaires can help the reader make
a judgement in this matter. In addition, it is possible to identify
from which questionnaire a statement originated.