Sampling in Qualitative Research: Rationale, Issues, and Methods

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Social Sciences
• Humanistic Inquiry

Background:

• Quantitative research, particularly survey and medical research, dominates discussions on sampling in gerontology.
• Sampling is a crucial but less explicitly discussed aspect of qualitative research in social and humanistic fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an explicit discussion of sampling principles, rationales, features, and practices in qualitative research.
• To address common questions and challenges related to qualitative sampling.
• To propose a new concept, "qualitative clarity," for assessing qualitative sampling.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and conceptual analysis of sampling in qualitative research.
• Identification and description of guiding principles and common practices.
• Development of the concept of qualitative clarity.

Main Results:

• Qualitative sampling, while central, requires more explicit discourse distinct from quantitative approaches.
• Common questions regarding qualitative sampling are identified and discussed.
• The concept of qualitative clarity is proposed as an evaluative framework.

Conclusions:

• There is a need for clearer articulation and assessment of sampling strategies in qualitative research.
• "Qualitative clarity" offers a framework analogous to statistical power for evaluating qualitative sampling rigor.
• This work aims to enhance the methodological transparency and rigor of qualitative research.