Sampling in Qualitative Research

Qualitative Designs And Data Collection

Qualitative researchers need to answer one important question: How to select samples for the study? In order to analyze the variation among programs, a random sample would be appropriate in order to generalize the findings. Limited resources and limited time tend to force a researcher to evaluate samples and events carefully. They may try looking at extreme cases for more insightful results. The evaluation then focuses on understanding which events are significant. The sample need not be random or excellent or structure, it depends on what the researcher believes to be relevant for their study. Qualitative inquiry works for researchers who can work effectively under ambiguity. Qualitative inquiry has no stringent rules regarding the sample size. It depends on the purpose of the research, what's at stake, what is useful, what is credible, and what is the line of research that can be undertaken within the timeframe and use the resources at hand. The same set of fixed resources and time can be used in various ways. A large sample can be used to study differences in behaviour, or a smaller sample size can be employed for in-depth analysis. Qualitative research is considered meaningful if it the sample selected is information-rich and the analytical capabilities of the researcher are high. Two types of sampling techniques discussed in the past qualitative researches are theoretical and purposeful sampling (Coyne, 1997).