Participant Selection in Qualitative Research: Part 1
Participant Selection in Qualitative Research is one of the impost important tasks a qualitative researcher can undertake. Many researchers have difficulty with the design of this part of their study. Thus, this is the first of a series of blogs about participant recruitment in qualitative research.
A qualitative researcher must ensure they can access their participants and that the participants have experience with the phenomenon under study. Since researchers collect most qualitative data through interviews, surveys, questionnaires, or focus groups, they must find participants willing to share their experiences. Thus, finding a potential participant who has experience with the phenomenon and is willing to share their thoughts is at the heart of a proposed study. Even the best topic remains unexplored without willing participants.
First, identify and describe the type of participant you need. Then, sit down, brainstorm, and write a detailed description of your ideal participant to ensure a successful study. Additionally, treat this as a brainstorming session where you freely jot down words, phrases, or sentences that describe your participants.
Once you have a list of characteristics or traits, order them by relative importance. For example, if you are doing a study about adolescent females’ experiences with social media, two of your defining characteristics might be age and gender. Questions to ask yourself could include:
1. How easy will it be for you to access participants under the age of 18?
2. Are you connected with a pool of potential participants?
3. Can you network to find your participants?
4. What are additional considerations or permissions you might need given the possible age of your sample?
Taking the time to consider these points will help you understand the recruitment process. For example, you might choose a phenomenological study, focusing on participants’ recollections of their experiences with social media. Given this qualifier you could recruit women who are no longer adolescents but used social media when they were. You could focus on women aged 18–19 without special permission or include adolescents aged 13–19, which requires extra steps. Either way, careful planning improves your chances of success.
In the next blog, we will consider the importance of inclusion and exclusion criteria and how they help you find the participants you need for your study.