Using face validity to recognize empirical community observations.
There is a growing interest among international planning scholars to explore community participation in the plan making process from a qualitative research approach. In this paper the research assessment tool "face validity" is discussed as one way to help planners decipher when the community is sharing empirically grounded observations that can advance the applicability of the plan making process. Face validity provides a common sense assessment of research conclusions. It allows the assessor to look at an entire research project and ask: "on the face of things, does this research make sense?" With planners listening to citizen comments with an ear for face validity observations, holds open the opportunity for government to empirically learn from the community to see if they "got it right." And if not, to chart out a course on how they can get it right.
Gaber
John
J
Department of Sociology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72703, USA. jgaber@uark.edu
Gaber
Sharon L
SL
D003256:Community Participation; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009329:Nebraska; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010934:Planning Techniques; D011340:Problem Solving; D036301:Qualitative Research