Sampling, Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research

“Sampling, Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research”

Introduction

Qualitative research is a way of finding solution, exploration for a problem in a society in a systematical way. This research method helps us to gain an understanding to improve ideas, get new opinion based on a topic or issue that we undergoing. In qualitative research there is a data collections method. Those are unstructured or semi-structured techniques. Some common methods use in such as interview, observation and questionnaires. The sample size that require is a small group of participant to fulfill a given quota.

There are few special aspects of qualitative research contribute for a good result. They are cooperation and good understanding when they common on specific issue and will help to build in ideas. Other than that, the participants will be engage in group discussion or interviews actively compared to structured survey. Next, the researcher able to feel the participant real feeling regarding any probe by qualitative research. The participants also able to be observe, record, interpret their body language or any feedback that during analysis data.

However, qualitative research is that its scope is fairly limited so its findings are not always widely generalizable. Researchers also have to use caution with these methods to ensure that they themselves do not influence the data in ways that significantly change it and that they do not bring undue personal bias to their interpretation of the findings. Fortunately, qualitative researchers receive rigorous training designed to eliminate or reduce these types of research bias.

Explanation

Sampling in qualitative research refers to samples that selected or participants that will be study based on the researches’ needs. Other than that, samples basically will be chosen by researcher randomly or probability for qualitative research but will be use purposeful or criteria based sampling that relevant to research questions. This samples mostly a part of population to get researches because if use all of them will cost much and it’s impossible to test all of them.

There are two types of sampling can be divided. First is probability sample and another one is non-probability sample. In probability sample can be describe into few categories. Those are systematic random sample, stratifies random sample and multi-stage cluster sample. In other hand Non-probability samples can be categories into convenience sample, purposive sample, quota, snowball and theoretical.

Systematic random sample is which the respondent will be choosing selectively or randomly. For an example, get a list of people or observe a flow of people. It’s concern that there has no specific rhythm in the selected people. Stratifies random sample means divide the group of people into small group for sampling. For an example, if the sampling frame is dividing into, school, district then can use ‘strata”. Multistage cluster sample means randomly choose from multi branches company samples cluster. For an example, if company X has multi branches, for sampling can choose people from each of branches to get the data. But this method can be considered as complex and expensive. In other hand, non-probability samples convenience sample is get the people which easy to find and who are convenient with researcher’s methods. Snowball sample is a group of people are related with researcher’s topic. For, example for behavior study in classroom will be the students