Dear fellow researchers,
I am a novice when it comes to qualitative methodology. Although I have gone through the article of Braun and Clarke (2006), and referred to a number of other resources, I am yet to have my query resolved.
So, my target sample size is 40.
Out of these 40 individuals, 20 will be community-dwelling older persons, and 20 will be individuals living in elder-care institutions (or old age homes, as they are called in India).
And for both the community and elder-care institution sample, there will be 10 males and 10 females.
I am currently collecting data from the community.
Although I have completed data collection of 10 males, I am yet to find 3 female participants.
And I am yet to start data collection of the elder-care institution based sample.
I intend to use thematic analysis, and will be exploring their aging experience in terms of their sex and living arrangement - i.e., similarities and contrasts.
Now, for this do I need this sort of strict demarcation that I have made for my study? That is 10 males, 10 females (community-based) ; 10 males, 10 females (institution-based) ? Or is it okay to have 10 males and 7 females for the community and 7 males and 5 females for the elder-care institution sample?
From all of the papers that I have read clearly I understand that having an equal sample size is not a criterion in qualitative analysis. However, since I am attempting to look at similarity and contrasts in terms of gender and living arrangement does striving for an equal sample size (sex and living arrangement) become important?
I really look forward to all your valuable comments.
Thanking everyone in advance :)
A good response from Uchendu. Shilpa - it is possible to 'stratify' qualitative samples - but I sense that you are using a qualitative descriptive approach which does not need this. Unless you specifically want to collect data to 'compare', then the gender make-up does not matter. If you note gender differences in your findings then this actually becomes a 'point of interest'. If all participants meet the inclusion criteria, then it is the experience of the phenomena that is important - not the gender. It is clear that you want to compare community-dwelling to 'institutionalised' participants and that will be important (but much easier) to separate out.
And just to add to the above two good answers, your sample size is also determined by saturation - when you stop generating new ideas that's when you know it is enough, rather than aiming for equal groups.
Extremely grateful to all three of you for you valuable comments.
Sharing the link to a few articles I have been going through , in case someone is searching for answers to the same questions in the near future:
Article The Promises of Qualitative Inquiry
Article Characterising and justifying sample size sufficiency in int...
Article Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptual...
no only the emerging themes are regarded as important....you can quote at least three participants though
Hi Shilpa Bandyopadhyay you do not necessarily equalize the sample size qualitative research, not even quantitative research. It is hard to achieve and is not a requirement for qualitative studies as well. However, you may need to find informants who have the ability to respond to your questions fairly well rather than equalize the sample size.
I agree with the previous academicians responses.
Therefore, data saturation is much important than the equal sample size.
The sample size (quantity) is not matter, if not what you are have obtained as information that answer your research question and objectives; the quality of the information that allowed you to compare and look for diffrences and similarities. Could be that with only 5 in a group and 7 or 8 in another you can reach a very strong information about the differences and similarities. As qualitative researcher you have to look for obtaining deph, details, specific and rich data, forget the number. Good luck!!!
Equal sample is not a must for qualitative research. You can identify the theme emerging from data. just be reflective in your analysis. Clarify the reasons you think limit your access to certain categories of participant. also try to explain how the limited access has impacted your data analysis.
I think simply saying that the sample size in each segment does not matter ignores what seem to be important goals for you: distinguishing whether men and women say the same sorts of things and whether those cared for at home or institutions generate the same themes.
In order to investigate those subgroup differences you do indeed need an adequate number of cases in each set. So, I would start with whatever subgroup its most accessible, achieve saturation there, and conduct thematic analysis for those participants. Then, I would collect data from the next-most accessible group and do systematic comparisons between what they say versus what you heard earlier. If you do not hear any major differences, then you can stop sooner, but if there are differences, then you will need to proceed to saturation in that group as well. And so on.
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