Abstract
The use of inter-rater reliability (IRR) methods may provide an opportunity to improve the
transparency and consistency of qualitative case study data analysis in terms of the rigor of
how codes and constructs have been developed from the raw data. Few papers on qualitative
research methods in the literature conduct IRR assessments or neglect to report them, despite
some disclosure of multiple researcher teams and coding reconciliation in the work. The paper
argues that the in-depth discussion and reconciliation initiated by IRR may enhance the
findings and theory that emerges from qualitative case study data analysis, where the main data
source is often interview transcripts or field notes. To achieve this, the paper provides a missing
link in the literature between data gathering and analysis by expanding an existing process
model from five to six stages. The paper also identifies seven factors that researchers can
consider to determine the suitability of IRR to their work and it offers an IRR checklist, thereby
providing a contribution to the broader literature on qualitative research methods.