128 qualitative in nature it also ensured dependability by collecting a fair, credible, honest and balanced account of social life experiences from the people being studied. The researcher also ensured that the researcher’s approach and findings spoke to the research questions and the research problem pertaining to this particular research project. The researcher used different data collection techniques to collect authentic data from relevant participants, and those tools were focused group discussions and in-depth interviews. Preliminary investigation was used to check whether participants understood the questions, and whether they provided the information that was required. Moreover, data that was collected during the preliminary stage was not used for the presentation of actual findings; it purpose was to check the appropriateness of the instruments and correct mistakes, if there were any, before the actual data collection began.
This ensured the dependability, accuracy and trustworthiness of the research design and its implementation.
Confirmability: This is described as the degree of objectivity and the extent to which the findings of the study are informed by the participants and not by researcher bias, motivation or interest (Lincoln and Guba, 1985). Researchers develop relationships with the research participants and they are tempted to see what they want to see and genuinely miss things that do not conform to their expectations. The researcher ensures confirmability by being honest and keeping information confidential when the research report is written up.
129 aspects of the research topic. Thematic data analysis is a search for themes that emerge as being important to the description of the phenomenon (Daly, Kellehear and Gliksman, 1997 in Fereday and Muir-Cochrane, 2006). Further to this, Boyatzis (1998) explains thematic analysis as “encoding qualitative information”. Thematic analysis fits the research questions related to people’s experiences, opinions, attitudes, feelings and perceptions. The thematic analysis was performed through the processes of carefully reading and rereading themes to create and establish meaningful patterns. Rubin and Bubbie (2011) further explain thematic analysis as the most common form of analysis in qualitative research. It emphasises pinpointing, examining and recording patterns (or
“themes”) within data.
Themes are patterns across data sets that are important to the description of a phenomenon and are associated with a specific research question (Spradley, 1999). Clarke andBraun (2013) state that thematic analysis is a system of “identifying, analysing and reporting patterns (themes) within data”. It minimally organises and describes your data set in (rich) details. For this study, the key themes or variables that informed the data analysis evolved around the issues of implementation and sustainability of pro-poor Local Economic Development initiatives in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality. The logical steps that are used by researchers to perform thematic analysis are to firstly familiarize themselves with the data, secondly generate initial codes, thirdly search for themes amongst the codes, review themes, define and name themes and lastly produce the final report.
This study also followed these steps to analyse data that was collected in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality. Furthermore, qualitative data that was collected was analysed through the use of the computer software program ATLAS.ti. This programme analyses both interviews and focus group interview questions according to different themes. Although the results that produced by this computer software mainly dependent on how the researcher has defined and coded data, but it has the advantage of organising and grouping data collected using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.
4.11 Research ethics
Research ethics relates to what is right or wrong when conducting research. The right or wrong of scientific research should conform to generally accepted norms and values
130 (Brynard, Hanekom and Brynard, 2014). Bless, Higson-Smith and Kagee (2006) indicate that researchers should accept responsibility for protecting their participants. To be ethical is to conform to and follow processes for conducting professional research practices. It is generally known that it is unethical for researchers to harm anyone in the course of research, especially if it is without the person’s knowledge and permission. This includes deceiving the participant about the true purpose of the study, asking the participant questions that cause him/her extreme embarrassment, causing emotional turmoil by reminding him or her about an unpleasant experience causing guilt, or invading his or her privacy (by asking sensitive questions).
Researchers can also act unethically when analysing data i.e. by revealing only part of the facts, presenting facts out of context, falsifying findings, or offering a misleading presentation (Bailey, 1994). Research should be based on mutual trust, acceptance, cooperation, promises and well-accepted conventions and expectations between all parties involved in a research project (Sarantakos, 2000). Practice has, though, shown that this freedom can have adverse effects on participants and the community in general (De Vos et al., 2011). In this study participants were first required to give an informed consent: they were given a chance to voluntarily participate in the study, and were told that the study was being conducted for academic purposes to avoid causing any harm to the participants. Furthermore, participants were told that their participation would not be exposed to any other party to ensure that they were free to give information that is relevant and related to the study. The ethical measures adopted in this study were: informed consent, voluntary participation, permission was given by letters issued by the municipalities, privacy, confidentiality, assurance of anonymity and the right to withdraw from the study at any time – and these ethical measures were shared with the participants before data was collected.
In research it is crucial to obtain ethical clearance from an ethics committee when human (or animal) subjects are involved in any kind of research of an empirical nature. Ethical clearance was granted by the research committee within the institution. Ethical considerations in research are concerned with professionalism in conducting the study.
The researcher took steps to protect the subjects of the study from all forms of harm. The fact that human beings are the object of this study requires that the researcher exhibits an expected level of respect. The researcher must protect the participants from psychological, social, mental and financial harm. The research did not bring about, or
131 cause, any financial obligation to the participants, language that was used was not jargon but was simple and understandable, no participant was coerced to participate in the study.
The researcher ensured that as far as possible any potentially harmful situation was avoided by not asking sensitive or embarrassing questions or interviewing participants in a manner that could cause discomfort.
4.11.1 Beneficence
The term beneficence is concerned with maximising the benefits and reducing harm to the respondents. Beneficence is promoting the safety of the participants and providing them with information and knowledge that will be of use after the study (De Vos et al., 2011). In data collection, beneficence means that the participants are trained on how to answer questions arising from the interviews. The principle (also) focuses on what information the research will unearth that will be of benefit to the participants, so as to bring about permanent change, in their physical, social or even economic spheres.
4.11.2 Justice
Research should ensure that it justifies its ethical principles. In this study the privacy and confidentiality of the participants was respected. The researcher explained the importance and the aim of the study to the participants. The researcher also obtained permission from the authorities to conduct the study and the application for the ethical clearance certificate was obtained. Respect for persons involves that prior to their participation in the study participants know what the process of their participation entails (Kumar, 2014).
Obtaining the participants’ consent to participate in the study ensures that participants are aware of and agree to the times, dates, nature of data collection and expectations of the study. A detailed consent form explaining the details of the study was given to the participants. Participants who fully understood and were willing to participate in the study were asked to sign an informed consent before answering the study questions.
Participants were assured that their names and personal details would not be revealed in the research report. Participants could also choose whether or not to provide their personal details but were assured this information would not be revealed in the analyses.
4.12 Delimitations of the study
Delimitation of the study refers to setting conceptual and geographical boundaries regarding the subject matter of the study area, and is about giving clarification or meaning to the concepts that are continuously used in the study. This study focuses on spatial
132 delimitation. The study was limited to two local municipalities (uMhlathuze and uMfolozi) under one district municipality on the north cost of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. It focused on the implementation and sustainability of LED initiatives within the King Cetshwayo District Municipality, therefore, it would be difficult to generalise the study by considering other district municipalities.