Authenticity in constructivist inquiry: Methodological considerations without prescription

Principles concerning authenticity in constructivist inquiry are described in the context of the emergent paradigm. Suggestions are offered from which the researcher can choose to work toward, though never prescriptively guarantee, high-quality research findings. High-quality, meaningful research, which offers insights for practice and makes a valuable contribution, is a goal of constructivist inquirers. Notwith-standing an often heated debate, &dquo;the notion of the properly done study is central to post-empiricists&dquo; (Smith, 1990, p. 172). Although an a priori set of techniques to ascertain authenticity in an absolutist manner will never exist, constructivist inquiry is well served with a range of questions and considera-tions from which the researcher can address authenticity (Guba, 1992; Guba & Lincoln, 1989). &dquo;There are no canons, decision rules, algorithms, or even agreed-upon heuristics&dquo; in qualitative research generally (Miles & Huberman, 1984, p. 230) and constructivist research specifically. This article discusses constructivist inquiry in the context of authenticity as explicated by Ego