Conceptual Mapping Task: An Effective Verification Tool for Qualitative Counseling Research

This article introduces the conceptual mapping task (CMT) as a semi-structured interviewing procedure that includes four distinct, in vivo member-checking features. An interview protocol is provided for novice and advanced counseling researchers who are interested in utilizing the CMT. Two case studies illustrate the versatility of this trans-theoretical tool and its potential use across the spectrum of approaches to qualitative inquiry. The CMT can be used as a strategy to (a) increase a study's trustworthiness when there are obstacles to repeated participant contact, (b) elicit rich data, and (c) add methodological rigor in counseling research. Preliminary implications for clinical supervisors and professional counselors are provided.