The rigor in qualitative research framework: A practical guide to evaluating qualitative studies

Qualitative research is central to understanding aging-related experiences, yet expectations for rigor are often unclear and inconsistently applied across studies. Here, we introduce the Rigor in Qualitative Research Framework, developed through a structured review of qualitative quality frameworks and reporting guidance and application to qualitative articles published in Innovation in Aging. We identified ten domains of qualitative rigor that reflect core areas across qualitative approaches: methodological coherence, relevance and contribution, contextual sensitivity and transferability, researcher reflexivity and positioning, participant/data-item selection and composition, ethical and relational integrity, data generation quality and richness, analytic rigor and transparency, interpretive credibility and evidence linkage, and reporting clarity, coherence, and usability. We then examined how these domains are described and operationalized in 39 published qualitative studies from 2020-2025 in Innovation in Aging, identifying exemplars in how rigor is enacted in practice. Findings suggest that existing frameworks provide broad coverage of key domains but differ in scope, emphasis, and level of guidance; qualitative studies thus vary in how clearly and consistently these domains are articulated. In response, our proposed framework integrates these domains into a structure supporting both evaluation and application, while remaining flexible to different epistemological and methodological traditions. The Rigor in Qualitative Research Framework is intended to guide study design, analysis, and reporting, and to support more consistent evaluation during peer review, providing a practical reference point for qualitative research across applied health and gerontology.