Question: module 6 dq 2 argument response to Rachel
In your response, you state the need for "confidence level ... underlying z-value, margin of error ... [and] standard deviation" as necessary components for determining the sample size for this study. Are you asserting that for this research question that a quantitative study would be appropriate? If so, can you explain your rationale? My understanding is that the types of information you state as needed to determine sample size are generally applied to quantitative studies, not qualitative studies. If I am mistaken, I would appreciate your input. I agree with you that sample size can impact the cost of the research and therefore will likely affect the sampling procedures and sample size, along with many other considerations such as prevalence of the individuals within the target population.
Guetterman (2015) studied qualitative researcher recommendations for sample size for various qualitative methodological approaches and found minimum recommendations ranging from one to fifty participants depending upon the methodology. Furthermore, after reviewing many qualitative articles in top journals Guetterman (2015) found an average of 87 individuals within each study, with a range of one to seven-hundred participants. Interestingly, for articles containing case studies in education (the method I recommended for the scenario in the Module 6 discussion questions) Guetterman (2015) observed a minimum sample of 12 participants and a maximum of 700 participants. Thus, there does not appear to be a general "rule-of-thumb" in the articles Guetterman (2015) reviewed for how many participants are required in qualitative research.