The Professional Counselor | Volume 10, Issue 4 455 collects, codes, and categorizes qualitative data using the constant comparative method from grounded theory methodology (Corbin & Strauss, 2015; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The researchers first use open coding, followed by categorization using axial coding to identify themes in the data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Data collection continues until data reach saturation and redundancy. Unlike other qualitative traditions, this qualitative design is not employed to develop theory (i.e., grounded theory), capture the essence of a lived experience (i.e., phenomenology), nor describe cultural and environmental observations (i.e., ethnography; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Instead, researchers using basic qualitative designs seek to collect and analyze qualitative data for the purpose of answering research questions outside other specialized qualitative focus areas. A qualitative design was selected because the authors shared an underlying philosophical belief in the constructivist position that participants’ reality was socially co-constructed and that all responses should be given importance regardless of frequency (Lincoln & Guba, 2013). The basic qualitative design was selected because it best fit the purpose of this larger qualitative project. The purpose of the larger qualitative study was to identify current perceptions of doctorallevel counselor educators regarding four major issues pertinent to doctoral counselor education: (a) components of high-quality programs, (b) strategies to recruit and retain underrepresented students, (c) strategies for working with administrators, and (d) strategies for successful dissertation advising. Our study collected and analyzed in-depth interviews with doctoral-level counselor educators to answer a series of research questions that addressed the issues above pertaining to doctoral-level counselor education. Interview questions were designed to directly answer each research question. The research questions explored in the larger project were as follows: 1) What are the components of high-quality doctoral programs in CES, and what are the most and least important components? 2) Which strategies are doctoral programs using to recruit, support, and retain underrepresented doctoral students from diverse backgrounds, and how successful are those? 3) Which strategies are helpful in gaining initial and ongoing support from administrators when seeking to start a new doctoral program in CES, and how successful are those? and 4) Which strategies help students navigate the dissertation process, and how successful are those? This manuscript represents the first of four articles from the larger qualitative project that each addressed one of the research questions listed above. This study therefore examined the first research question and sought to identify the components of high-quality doctoral programs in CES. The interview questions directly addressed this research question and were as follows: 1) How might you define a high-quality doctoral program in CES? and 2) What do you believe to be the most and least important components? Participants Purposeful sampling was used for an initial identification of eligible volunteers (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016) from the limited number of doctoral CES programs in the United States that are CACREP accredited. At the time of writing, 85 CACREP-accredited doctoral CES programs existed (CACREP, 2019b). Information-rich cases were sought to promote visibility to the perception of CES faculty. The sampling method was thus designed to identify and recruit participants who had experiences working in doctoral-level counselor education. Inclusion criteria for the study design were as follows: Participants had to 1) be current full-time core faculty members in CES, 2) who were currently working in a doctorallevel counselor education program with CACREP accreditation. The last author created a database of CES doctoral faculty from the 85 CACREP-accredited programs and recruited faculty interest in the study
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