Sampling In Qualitative Research

Generally speaking, in many areas, researchers in conducting studies follow particular procedures in order for making sure of the credibility of a particular study and of testing out a theory, hypothesis, and so forth. One of the methods used in modern research is the sampling process. This essay aims to explain the meaning and the two different types of sampling term in great details, and to exhibit the errors that can be made in employing these types. In addition, an attempt is made to elucidate how the sampling is utilised in certain empirical studies of primary sources.

Sampling is defined by Denzin (1989:71) as “a set of rules that place the observer in a situation to record or elicit a set of behaviours which are presumed to have

According to him, researchers do not essentially rely upon sampling population in qualitative research because qualitative questions purpose to give a description and to conduct an investigation of the variation in an issue, phenomenon or situation. Therefore, collecting data for a certain study from one individual in qualitative research, which is not basically based on the quantity and the determination of the degree of the variation, can be treated as totally valid. He adds that for the sake of discovering the diversity of an issue for example in qualitative research, researchers keep interviewing and obtaining the results of studies until they reach the saturation point. The saturation point, which the non-probability method is adopted to do so, means that the degree which researchers cannot find out new facts or might obtain insignificant information with respect to the conducted study.

On the other hand, Sampling is considered as one of the important elements that are used in carrying out quantitative research. According to Dornyie, (2007; Milroy and Gordon, 2003), since the total population can be represented through a sample in quantitative research, the generalisation of a study findings might be impacted by the amount of sample participation of the population. Hence, judgement on the validity of the generalisation of a study is conditioned with a large amount of representative

The use of non-probability sampling is in the state of the units in a population are numerically indeterminate (Kumar, 2005:178; Robson, 2002:263). Non-probability sampling is adopted in research and it is beneficial to certain studies. However, It would be said that it has no a strong foundation with respect to generalisation (Henry, 1990; Walliman and Baiche, 2001).

There are four methods followed by researchers in the utilisation of non-random in qualitative and quantitative research. They can be presented as following.

Convenience sampling, also known as accidental sampling, means that researchers have no difficulty of finding the most convenient participants for a certain study. Therefore, the simplicity of researchers’ obtainment to the sampling population is its main feature (Robson, 2002; Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2006).

Quota sampling has some common characteristics with accidental sampling, such as the easy access to the sampling population. In quota sampling during a certain study, the population is divided into subgroups according to the gender, people colour, and so on. Then, from each subgroup a number of elements are chosen and interviewed for the last sample (Henry, 1990; Kumar,