Qualitative Content Analysis:
Key Points on Sampling, Data Collection, and Analysis
Introduction
Purpose:
This article serves as a comprehensive guide to qualitative research methodologies, focusing on frequently asked questions related to sampling, data collection, and analysis.
Series Overview:
Part of a series aimed at providing practical guidance for researchers embarking on qualitative research endeavors.
Sampling
What is a Sampling Plan?
Definition: A formalized plan outlining the sampling method, sample size, and participant recruitment procedure.
Qualitative Sampling Plan Features:
Broad Definition: Unlike quantitative studies, qualitative research starts with a broadly defined plan that evolves during the study.
Deliberate Sampling: Participants are intentionally chosen based on their relevance to the research objectives.
Sample Emergence: Sampling strategies adapt based on emerging questions and data analysis.
Conceptual Criteria: Sample selection prioritizes conceptual relevance over strict representativeness.
Sampling Strategies
Deliberate Sampling: Common strategies include purposive, criterion, theoretical, convenience, and snowball sampling.
Key Informants:
The selection of knowledgeable individuals is crucial for accessing insights and validating researcher perceptions.
Sampling Types and Qualitative Designs
Ethnography: Utilizes purposive sampling to select key informants representing a culture.
Phenomenology: Relies on criterion sampling, focusing on participants who have experienced the phenomenon under study.
Grounded Theory: Starts with purposive sampling and progresses to theoretical sampling to refine emerging theories.
Content Analysis: Often employs purposive, convenience, or snowball sampling depending on the research focus.
Sample Size and Data Saturation
Data Saturation: Sampling continues until redundancy is achieved, and new data yield little additional insight.
Sample Size Estimates: Vary based on the research approach, with guidelines ranging from 25–50 interviews for ethnography to 15–20 interviews for content analysis.
Data Collection
Methods
Primary Methods: Participant observation, interviews, and focus group discussions are commonly used.
Flexibility: Qualitative research allows for unstructured, flexible data collection, enabling real-time adjustments during fieldwork.
Participant Observation
Roles: Researcher involvement ranges from complete participant to complete observer.
Stages: Observations progress from descriptive to focused to selective, capturing nuanced insights over time.
InterviewsStructure: Semi-structured interviews offer flexibility while ensuring coverage of key topics.
Facilitation: Interviewers encourage open dialogue and probe for deeper insights, fostering rich data collection.
Focus Group Discussions
Purpose: Gather insights from a group of individuals with shared characteristics or experiences.
Composition: Groups typically consist of 6–12 participants, with diversity and group dynamics carefully considered.
New Media in Data Collection
Emerging Trends: Online observations, interviews, and focus group discussions offer new avenues for qualitative data collection, leveraging the capabilities of digital platforms.
Analysis
Iterative Approach
Iterative Process: Analysis occurs concurrently with data collection, informing subsequent sampling decisions.
Incubation: Researchers immerse themselves in data, identifying patterns and insights through iterative review and reflection.
Importance of Transcripts
Data Source: Transcripts and field notes serve as primary data sources for analysis, requiring accuracy to capture both verbal and non-verbal nuances.
Transcription Quality: Transcripts must accurately reflect interviews, capturing nuances such as pauses, tone, and emphasis.
Analytical Approaches
Ethnography, Phenomenology, Grounded Theory, and Content Analysis: Each approach employs distinct analytical methods, emphasizing consistency within the chosen approach to ensure rigor and coherence.
Conclusion
Effective qualitative research requires thoughtful consideration and adaptability throughout the research process.
By employing robust sampling, data collection, and analysis methods, researchers can generate rich, meaningful insights that contribute to a deeper understanding of complex phenomena.
References:
Drisko, James W., and Tina Maschi, 'Qualitative Content Analysis', Content Analysis, Pocket Guides to Social Work Research Methods (New York, 2015; online edn, Oxford Academic, 19 Nov. 2015), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190215491.003.0004, accessed 13 Feb. 2024.
