Insightful, intelligible, personable reply - Assignment Example

Insightful, Intelligible, Personable Reply INSIGHTFUL, INTELLIGIBLE, PERSONABLE REPLY It was quite interesting to see an example of mixed method sampling as part of the study you selected, particularly because it is so rarely reported. I have always found this strange because as Sharp et al. (2012) argue, mixed method sampling provides essential flexibility that is suitable in cases conducted on more than one site. The use of consecutive and purposive sampling seems clearly evident in the paper, although I am not entirely sure whether the researchers set out specifically to use both sampling methods.

Consecutive sampling, from my understanding, seeks to include all subjects who are eligible to be part of the sample, which makes the most representative sampling method (Sharp et al., 2012). On the other hand, purposive sampling, as you also state, involves selection of participants with a specific reason in mind. It is not entirely clear from the study whether the researchers purposefully use both sampling methods, since there only seems to be one round of sampling. I have to say that your observation that this could be a mixed method sample is amazing because the sampling method used could be any of the two, particularly as the researchers do not specify their sampling plan.

Maybe I would add that purposive sampling, in which all the subjects are selected, reduces potential harm to patients because it allowed the researchers to leave out patients who may have been too ill (Sharp et al., 2012). In addition, because the selection criteria you note from the study is well considered and based on a clear criteria, the purposive sampling strategy is able to avoid the researcher bias that comes with non-probability forms of sampling. Indeed, this form of sampling could have been responsible for Yang et al. (2012) reporting that the two groups compared had similar baseline characteristics because they were all selected from the same population using the researchers’ judgment.

ReferencesSharp, J. L., Mobley, C., Hammond, C., Withington, C., Drew, S., Stringfield, S., & Stipanovic, N. (2012). A mixed methods sampling methodology for a multisite case study. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 6(1), 34-54 Yang, H., Lee, H., Chu, T., Su, Y., Ho, L., & Fan, J. (2012). The Comparison of Two Recovery Room Warming Methods for Hypothermia Patients Who Had Undergone Spinal Surgery. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship, 44(1), 2-10. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01426.x