The concept of validation is closely related to triangulation and consists of member validation or member checks. In other words, research participants determine whether the researcher's interpretation of meaning and events accords with their own. The method is used to check on bias and the quality of research. Peer or expert validation involves sharing findings with others who have expertise in the research phenomenon or the population. Research can also be validated through corroboration with other research on the same or similar phenomena, or with the same population. The determination of credibility in a qualitative study is largely a function of the process by which the data were collected. As a result, in a qualitative dissertation, it is necessary to take great pains in detailing how the researcher went about collecting, handling, analyzing, and interpreting the data.