All of the following statements related to sample size are true characteristics of qualitative methodology except for which of the following?
a. The criterion of theoretical sufficiency is used to determine when the sample size is adequate.
b. Samples used in qualitative research are typically much smaller than in quantitative research.
c. The criterion of data saturation is used to determine when the sample size is adequate.
d. When asked to indicate in an institutional review board (IRB) proposal how large the sample will be, the qualitative researcher should indicate between 25 and 50 subjects to capture an adequate sample.
ANS: D
The text authors recommended including a projected sample size of 12 to 25 participants when submitting a study for IRB approval. The criterion of theoretical sufficiency has been proposed as a means for determining when the sample size is adequate. This refers to the process where data are collected until the research question can be adequately addressed. It contrasts with the more established term data saturation as a criterion to determine when the sample size is adequate, and is preferred by some researchers who believe that it is more appropriate because one can never completely know (or be saturated with) all there is to know about a topic. Samples for qualitative research studies are notably smaller than samples used in quantitative studies. Data saturation, or gathering data to the point where one is no longer learning new information about the phenomenon, is a term used to determine when the sample size is adequate.
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