Purposeful Sampling in Qualitative Research Synthesis
Abstract
Informed decisions about sampling are critical to improving the quality of research synthesis. Even though several qualitative research synthesists have recommended purposeful sampling for synthesizing qualitative research, the published literature holds sparse discussion on how different strategies for purposeful sampling may be applied to a research synthesis. In primary research, Patton is frequently cited as an authority on the topic of purposeful sampling. In Patton’s original texts that are referred to in this article, Patton does not make any suggestion of using purposeful sampling for research synthesis. This article makes a unique contribution to the literature by examining the adaptability of each of Patton’s 16 purposeful sampling strategies to the process of qualitative research synthesis. It illuminates how different purposeful sampling strategies might be particularly suited to constructing multi‐perspectival, emancipatory, participatory and deconstructive interpretations of published research.
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Participants were selected with maximum variation sampling to cover different job roles and various types of organizations.
“We selected participants with the maximum variation sampling method [93] of purposeful sampling to cover participants with different job roles and in various types of organizations.”
From Software Architecture in Practice: Challenges and Opportunities (2023) · cites this paper as [93]
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- Authors
- Suri, H.
- Affiliations
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Suri, Harsh
- ORCID
- Suri, Harsh
- Venue
- Qualitative Research Journal
- Publisher
- Emerald
- Published
- 2011-08-03
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 63-75
- ISSN
- 1443-9883 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2145622208
- Cited by
- 2,284
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 260 · 2025: 349 · 2024: 289 · 2023: 258 · 2022: 219 · 2021: 230 · 2020: 171 · 2019: 136 · 2018: 113 · 2017: 77 · 2016: 76 · 2015: 76 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 44.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Qualitative Research Journal (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
- Keywords
- qualitative evidence synthesis, sampling strategy
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