Discussion: purposeful sampling and saturation

What is a good sample in qualitative research? It is NOT about size or generalizability.

The answer lies in how clearly you articulate the criteria for selecting data sources; (b) your ability to purposefully select cases; and (c) the extent to which those cases are “information-rich… for in-depth study” (Patton, 2015, p. 264) with respect to the purpose of the study.

As you prepare for this week’s Discussion, consider turning your attention to the variety of purposeful sampling strategies you may consider in developing your research plan. Also consider that qualitative researchers seek a threshold or cut-off point for when to stop collecting data. There is no magic number (although there are guidelines). Rather, saturation occurs as an interface between the researcher and the data and (b) between data collection and data analysis to determine when enough is enough.

For this Discussion, you will critique a sampling strategy used in a research article.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the Guest, Bunce, and Johnson article; the Yob and Brewer article; and the Learning Resources related to sampling and saturation for this week.

Assignment: 

Prepare a critique of the sampling strategy used by Yob and Brewer (n.d.). Include the following your critique:

• The purpose of the study
• Research questions
• Site selection
• The type of purposeful sampling strategy the researchers applied. (Note: Use Table 4.3 in the Ravitch & Carl text or from Patton’s Chapter 5 to identify and describe the strategy that you think best fits what they described.)
• An alternative sampling strategy that the researchers could have considered. Explain your choice in terms of how the strategy is consistent with their research purpose and criteria for selecting cases.
• Provide a data saturation definition and evaluate the work of the researchers in this article regarding their efforts to achieve data saturation. Note what the researchers could have done differently to convince you that the relevant and important themes emerged.

Be sure to support your main post and response post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA style.

Required Readings

Ravitch, S. M., & Carl, N. M. (2016). Qualitative research: Bridging the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Chapter 4, “Design and Reflexivity in Data Collection” (pp. 111–144)
Table 4.3, “Purposeful Sampling Strategies” (pp. 129–137)

Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (2012). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Chapter 3, “Qualitative Data-Gathering Methods and Style” (previously read in Week 3)

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Chapter 5, Module 30: Purposeful sampling and case selection: Overview of strategies and options. In Qualitative research and evaluation methods (4th ed., pp. 264–315). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
 

Guest, G., Bunce, A., and Johnson, L. (2006). How many Interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods 18(1), 59–82.

Mason, M. (2010). Sample size and saturation in PhD studies using qualitative interviews. Forum : Qualitative Social Research, 11(3) 

Yob, I., & Brewer, P. (n.d.). Working toward the common good: An online university’s perspectives  on social change, 1-25.