Which of the following reliability techniques are used in qualitative research?

A. Diachronic reliability
B. Quixotic reliability
C. Synchronic reliability
D. Holsti’s constant
E. Chronbach’s alpha

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is A, B and C only.

In qualitative research, reliability refers to the consistency and stability of the observations, interpretations, and methods used. Kirk and Miller (1986) identified three main types of reliability specifically applicable to qualitative research:
1. Quixotic reliability: This refers to the circumstances in which a single method of observation yields the same measurement or result repeatedly. However, in qualitative research, this often represents a passive or literal consistency rather than deep validity.
2. Diachronic reliability: This refers to the stability of an observation over time. It is achieved when the same investigator or different investigators obtain the same results by repeating the same observations at different points in time.
3. Synchronic reliability: This refers to the similarity of observations within the same time period. It is checked by comparing observations made by different observers or using different methods (triangulation) at the same time.

On the other hand, Holsti’s constant and Cronbach’s alpha are quantitative measures:
- Holsti's constant (or Holsti's method) is a formula used to calculate inter-coder reliability in quantitative content analysis.
- Cronbach's alpha is a statistical measure of internal consistency (reliability) used for quantitative scales and questionnaires.

Therefore, only techniques A, B, and C are used in qualitative research, making A, B and C only the correct choice.