Mini proposal JUST (SAMPLING& METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION) - Essay Example

RESEARCH PROPOSAL Sampling The research targets current female Akron who will be involved within the study. A combination of different sampling methods will be utilised. Since the target for the research will be a very specific category of individuals, non-probability sampling techniques will be utilised. The sample size will be limited to individuals who are over the age of 18 years in seeking to eliminate the need for seeking parental permission (Sales & Folkman, 2001). The use of probability sampling could become a limiting factor to getting the right sample of participants in the research (Thomas, Nelson, & Silverman, 2010).

The selected sample will be subdivided into three different groups which will be used in conducting the research. A combination of various sampling techniques will be utilised in seeking to ensure the researchers get the most representative and balanced sample. This will be critical in ensuring that the findings of the research can be generalised to other groups of individuals. The sampling methods will include the ones discussed below.Purposeful samplingThis approach is commonly utilised in seeking to ensure inclusion of individuals with specific qualities that are being analysed by the researcher.

The fundamental reason for utilising purposeful sampling in this research is to provide an in-depth understanding of the perceptions that teenagers have regarding their body image following involvement in sport and physical activity (Suri, 2011). Purposeful sampling techniques will be utilised in seeking to ensure that the researcher gets only the individuals who fit into the specified research sample. This will be based on the women’s capability to participate in sport and other related physical activities.

Stratified purposeful samplingThe research will involve different groups of samples in seeking to present the different elements that have been defined within the research. This will involve the establishment of a sample and then selecting a few individuals from the sample to become the research participants. The samples will be stratified according to the specification for the different groups of participants involved in the research. This will ensure that the small sample size becomes representative of a population upon which they can be generalised.

Data collectionThe research seeks to collect qualitative data which will be utilised in establishing the perceptions of the teenage girls regarding their image after participating in sport and physical activities. The data collection process will involve conducting interviews with the selected population sample. Since the sample is relatively small, it will be quite easy to gather information through interviews. The interviews present an approach through which the interaction between the researcher and the sample will be done (Tracy, 2013).

The element of interaction between these individuals is critical in enhancing the validity the findings received for the research. The interviews will be semi structured in seeking to ensure consistency of the results that will be representative of a larger population. The structuring of the interview questions will ensure that there is consistency in the information gathered in the research. Since the study will be conducted over a long period of time, the utilisation of interviews will enable the research to save time in collecting data.

ReferencesSales, B. D., & Folkman, S. (2001). Ethics in Research With Human Participants (p. 215). Chicago: American Psychological Association.Suri, H. (2011). Purposeful sampling in qualitative research synthesis. Qualitative Research Journal, 11(2), 63–75.Thomas, J. R., Nelson, J. K., & Silverman, S. J. (2010). Research Methods in Physical Activity (6th ed.). New York: Human Kinetics.Tracy, S. J. (2013). Qualitative Research Methods: Collecting Evidence, Crafting Analysis. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.