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Confused About Theoretical Sampling? Engaging Theoretical Sampling in Diverse Grounded Theory Studies
Abstract
Theoretical sampling is a key procedure for theory building in the grounded theory method. Confusion about how to employ theoretical sampling in grounded theory can exist among researchers who use or who want to use the grounded theory method. We illustrate how we employed theoretical sampling in diverse grounded theory studies and answer key questions about theoretical sampling in grounded theory. We show how theoretical sampling functions in grounded theory and how it differs from sampling for data generation alone. We demonstrate how induction, retroduction, and abduction operate in grounded theory and how memoing drives theoretical sampling in the pursuit of theory. We explicate how theoretical sampling can contextualize data to build concepts and theory. Finally, we show how theoretical sampling in grounded theory operates in secondary analysis to derive theory that goes beyond the original purpose of data collection.
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“This compared to other participants who identified as belonging to other White ethnicities (n = 4) or to Minority Ethnic Groups (n = 4) -both these groups achieved through theoretical sampling -a process where minority groups within a sample population are specifically recruited to see whether there is distinct variation in their experiences [33].”
From The birth trauma earthquake: A qualitative investigation of first-time mothers who perceived their birth as traumatic (2026) · cites this paper as [33]
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“Theoretical sampling [33] allowed for a consideration of whether the experiences of participants from other White Ethnicities (n = 4) or Minority Ethnic Backgrounds ( n = 4) were distinctly different.”
From The birth trauma earthquake: A qualitative investigation of first-time mothers who perceived their birth as traumatic (2026) · cites this paper as [33]
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Cites
The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research
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Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008) · SAGE · doi:10.4135/9781452230153 · Cited by 12,136 · cited 1×
“…key works that have outlined grounded theory (e.g., Charmaz, 2006, 2014; Corbin & Strauss, 2008, 2015; Glaser, 1978; Glaser & Strauss, 1967/2012; Strauss & Corbin, 1990, 1998), we believe, as do others (e.g., Butler et al., 2018; Draucker et al., 2007), that there is confusion about how to…”
Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization
Saunders, B., Sim, J., Kingstone, T., Baker, S., Waterfield, J., Bartlam, B., Burroughs, H., & Jinks, C. (2018) · Quality & Quantity · doi:10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8 · Cited by 12,033 · cited 2×
“Theoretical saturation can only ever be pursued through theoretical sampling because the focus of grounded theory is to pursue saturation of a theoretical construct emerging from data to develop a theoretical account posited as the “best fit” of a concept: That researchers choose a name with the best fit for the patte…”
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Clarke, A. (2005) · doi:10.4135/9781412985833 · Cited by 1,555 · cited 5×
“In grounded theory variants that allow for engagement with empirical data and extant theoretical accounts to build theory (Charmaz, 2014; Clarke, 2005; Corbin & Strauss, 2015; Oliver, 2012), insights generated by considering empirical data in light of preexisting theories or concepts are “points of departure,” from wh…”
BackgroundInfluentialThe SAGE Handbook of Current Developments in Grounded Theory
Bryant, A., & Charmaz, K. (2019) · doi:10.4135/9781526485656 · Cited by 614 · cited 1×
“…on theoretical sampling in grounded theory deal primarily with the methodological underpinnings of theoretical sampling, and a limited number of textbooks (e.g., Bryant & Charmaz, 2019) have focused specifically on how theoretical sampling is accomplished in practice in grounded theory research.”
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Is it really theoretical? A review of sampling in grounded theory studies in nursing journals
McCrae, N., & Purssell, E. (2016) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/jan.12986 · Cited by 68
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Saturation in qualitative research: an evolutionary concept analysis
Rahimi, S., & khatooni, M. (2024) · International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances · doi:10.1016/j.ijnsa.2024.100174 · Cited by 560
“Generally, data, code, or thematic saturation focuses on the breadth of collected data, while meaning saturation and theoretical saturation focus on the depth of research data (Conlon et al., 2020; Saunders et al., 2018).”
BackgroundBailey, E. C., Barry, Z., Buabeng, R., Fellows, R. E., Khazaezadeh, N., Rajasingam, D., Silverio, S. A., & Sheen, K. S. (2026) · Women and Birth · doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2026.102171
Metadata
- Authors
- Conlon, C., Timonen, V., Elliott-O’Dare, C., O’Keeffe, S., & Foley, G.
- Affiliations
- Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- ORCID
- Foley, Geraldine
- Venue
- Qualitative Health Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2020-01-20
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 947-959
- ISSN
- 1049-7323
- 1552-7557
- Cited by
- 220
- References
- 10
- Language
- en
- Funders
- Health Research Board (HPF/2011/1)
- Atlantic Philanthropies (20309)
- Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (769975)
- National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2016S1A3A2924563)
- Ministry of Education
- Irish Research Council (GOIPG/2015/3896, GOIPG/2016/525)
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