"Ask Me No Secrets, I'll Tell You No Lies:" What Happens When a Respondent's Story Makes No Sense

Abstract

In health research, we depend heavily on the goodwill of study participants. However, the whole social contract of health research is based on the premise that everyone comes to the research table with honorable intentions. What course should we take if we doubt the authenticity of our participants accounts? Through the use of an illustrative case study, this paper will explore three different ways of thinking about (and handling) implausible narratives.