Descriptions of Sampling Practices Within Five Approaches to Qualitative Research in Education and the Health Sciences

Authors

  • Timothy C. Guetterman University of Nebraska-Lincoln

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-16.2.2290

Keywords:

qualitative sample size, qualitative sampling, qualitative inquiry, saturation, choosing cases, case study, ethnography, grounded theory methodology, narrative inquiry, phenomenology

Abstract

Although recommendations exist for determining qualitative sample sizes, the literature appears to contain few instances of research on the topic. Practical guidance is needed for determining sample sizes to conduct rigorous qualitative research, to develop proposals, and to budget resources. The purpose of this article is to describe qualitative sample size and sampling practices within published studies in education and the health sciences by research design: case study, ethnography, grounded theory methodology, narrative inquiry, and phenomenology. I analyzed the 51 most highly cited studies using predetermined content categories and noteworthy sampling characteristics that emerged. In brief, the findings revealed a mean sample size of 87. Less than half of the studies identified a sampling strategy. I include a description of findings by approach and recommendations for sampling to assist methodologists, reviewers, program officers, graduate students, and other qualitative researchers in understanding qualitative sampling practices in recent studies.

URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1502256

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Author Biography

Timothy C. Guetterman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Tim GUETTERMAN is an applied research methodologist in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's International Mixed Methods Research and Training Academy. His research interests, scholarship, and teaching are in research methodology, namely mixed methods research and qualitative inquiry. He has extensive professional experience in the field of evaluation with a focus on healthcare programs.

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Published

2015-05-17

How to Cite

Guetterman, T. C. (2015). Descriptions of Sampling Practices Within Five Approaches to Qualitative Research in Education and the Health Sciences. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-16.2.2290