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Sampling Techniques for Qualitative Research

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Principles of Social Research Methodology

Abstract

This chapter explains how to design suitable sampling strategies for qualitative research. The focus of this chapter is purposive (or theoretical) sampling to produce credible and trustworthy explanations of a phenomenon (a specific aspect of society). A specific research question (RQ) guides the methodology (the study design or approach). It defines the participants, location, and actions to be used to answer the question. Qualitative studies use specific tools and techniques (methods) to sample people, organizations, or whatever is to be examined. The methodology guides the selection of tools and techniques for sampling, data analysis, quality assurance, etc. These all vary according to the purpose and design of the study and the RQ. In this chapter, a fake example is used to demonstrate how to apply your sampling strategy in a developing country.

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Correspondence to Heather Douglas .

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Douglas, H. (2022). Sampling Techniques for Qualitative Research. In: Islam, M.R., Khan, N.A., Baikady, R. (eds) Principles of Social Research Methodology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_29

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-19-5219-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-19-5441-2

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