Interviewing as a Vehicle for Theoretical Sampling in Grounded Theory

Abstract

Interviewing is a frequently deployed data collection method in grounded theory research. Theoretical sampling is a core feature of the grounded theory method. Theoretical sampling is commonly understood as a means for sampling participants with a set of theoretical considerations in mind. However, theoretical sampling also occurs in the actual data generating process, for example through interviewing. Here, we illustrate how interviewing can be used as a vehicle for theoretical sampling. We discuss how to set up an interview study for it to be amenable to theoretical sampling. We show how interviewing and theoretical sampling align as the study proceeds and how interviewing in grounded theory can steer the course for theoretical sampling. We demonstrate how co-construction of data in grounded theory interviewing fuels theoretical sampling. Finally, we show that proceeding with questions for the purpose of theoretical sampling requires reflexivity and flexibility on the part of the researcher. We conclude that generating and analyzing data through the course of interviewing allows the researcher to probe into, expand on, and saturate key concepts and categories which collectively steer the inquiry and subsequent sampling. In the absence of theoretical sampling, it is not possible to grasp the basis for modifying interview questions or to decipher what or how questions should be asked, and for what purpose.

Generation covid: Experiences of the coronavirus pandemic among secondary school graduates of 2020 in Ireland

“…For instance, different forms and levels of critiquing education and other policies (and specifically the decision-making around the Learning Certificate) feature in the case of each participant in the last group, hence signalling an important shared set of inclinations and experience that constitute the "discontented" category. Theoretical sampling (Foley et al, 2021) for more encompassing concepts and collapsing of concepts into categories (where two or more were interlinked) led to the development of three categories that encapsulated core elements of the participants' experience and reactions to the pandemic. The three core categories that serve as a loose typology are listed in Table 2 below. Table 2 and our discussion of findings proceed from those who appeared to have been shielded against the negative effects or even blasé about the pandemic-for instance, declaring that the pandemic was not going to leave any mark on their lives-to those who disclosed various worries/ uncertainty arising from the pandemic; and finally those who were vocal in their discontentment with how the pandemic had been managed from the perspective of the 2020 Leaving Certificate cohort in Ireland.…”

“…During this phase, the government of Ireland implemented less restrictive policies than in the spring and early summer of 2020, but many of the normal activities of particular relevance for young people were still limited or not available (for instance, large gatherings were proscribed, meaning that events such as music festivals could not take place). There was a one-week pause during the fieldwork period to allow for preliminary analysis of emergent concepts, and subsequent theoretical sampling for those concepts in remaining interviews (Foley et al, 2021). All interviews were conducted prior to the release of the Leaving Certificate results on 7 th September.…”

“…We also asked about the participants' home lives, their plans for near future, and about their views pertaining to the management of the pandemic in Ireland (and any other contexts they were familiar with). In line with theoretical sampling (Conlon et al, 2020;Foley et al, 2021), we were attuned to emergent themes and probed points of interest raised by each interviewee, pursuing emergent concepts in subsequent interviews.…”

‘Down to the person, the individual patient themselves’: A qualitative study of treatment decision‐making for shoulder pain

“…Recruitment was guided by theoretical sampling with efforts made to recruit individuals who could provide relevant data to develop the CGT based on initial analysis. Theoretical sampling was also pursued during the interviews with lines of inquiry being followed in later interviews based on concepts identified during concurrent data analysis of earlier interviews 21 . The final sample size was determined at the point of theoretical saturation, the point in sampling where no new properties emerged and categories appeared to be ‘saturated’ 22 .…”

The Effect of the Family Type and Home Literacy Environment on the Development of Literacy Skills by Bi-/Multilingual Children in Cyprus

“…We implemented interviews for data collection as the most efficient tool for qualitative research (Foley et al 2021;Green and Thorogood 2014;O'Reilly and Kiyimba 2015). Interviews allowed us to investigate the individual's experiences, beliefs or constructions related to their language practices, multilingualism, multiliteracy, HLE, FLP, child literacy, home/heritage/immigrant language use, maintenance and transmission (Braun and Clarke 2013;Rolland et al 2020).…”