Counselor Professional Identity Research

Article Introduction The researchers highlight the integration of education and personal attributes in the development of counselor professional identity in the introduction of the article. Providing citations for previous research on professional identity. The authors continue with suggesting three stages of professional identity development. Citing literature regarding professional identity is builds up to the purpose of the study.
The purpose and problem statement of the study are provided on page 23. The purpose of the study is stated as “[t]his study was designed to provide a theory of professional identity development from entry into the program through the completion of internship as described by the trainees”. Creswell and Poth

The researchers use Strauss and Corbin (1998) to guide the use grounded theory in the study, and Miles and Huberman (as cited in Marshall &Rossman, 2006) to engage in purposeful sampling. The combination of these resources delivers an adequate description of the data collection methods, especially the coding strategies to develop categories.
Addressing the impact of external influences continues the pattern of alignment with the grounded theory approach. Bias and dual relationships are addressed in the article, as the participants were students of the researchers. Haverkamp (2005), warns researchers to minimize the risk of dual relationships by anticipating the risk prior to data collection. In this study, students were informed that research would not be addressed in class. However, a cultural and political context is not provided in this

The researchers describe the establishment of rigor for each tenet. Establishment of credibility is through detailed data analysis, as well as, triangulation between categories and research. Using multiple researchers and sites enhances transferability within the study. Dependability and confirmability are adequate but can be improved. Member checking may be used as it offers researchers with the ability to ensure accuracy of transcripts used for coding (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Limitations include existing biases and assumptions. The researchers includes diverse participants from two regions broadening the responses to limit their biases. Another limitation is in the methodology. Responses were obtained from a focus group versus individual interviews, limiting the extent of observation during the study. Overall, the methods section is coherent and establishes trustworthiness.