Sampling Theory
Describe sampling theory and provide examples to illustrate your definition. Discuss generalizability as it applies to nursing research.
Sample Answer
Sampling Theory
Sampling theory is a body of principles that define how samples should be drawn to accurately represent specific populations from which the samples are taken and to which different inferences will be made (Elfil & Negida, 2017). Therefore, conceptualizing the sampling process provides a guide to researchers related to which sampling designs they should utilize. It also guides researchers in different circumstances and how to effectively account for different subsets of cases that may not be well represented in a given study population. Therefore, a sampling theory assists in the creation of a sample set (Elfil & Negida, 2017). For instance, a researcher may create a sample set from a population depending on different characteristics such as weight and age.
Generalizability is simply a measure of how valuable the results of a given study or research will be for a broader group of people who may be in similar situations or a particular population (Elfil & Negida, 2017). When the results of a given study are broadly applicable to different types of people or different situations, such a study will be said to have good generalizability. In nursing, research generalizability is applied in two aspects: generalizing to a theory and generalizing to a population. After conducting research, nurses apply their study sample results to a larger population from which such samples were collected. Including relevant groups of a larger population in the right proportions in a research study makes the results generalizable to the general population.
On the other hand, in nursing, generalizability can be applied to a theory. Therefore, the application of generalizability to a theory includes moving from simple observations to the development of hypotheses and scientific theory. This form of generalizing also includes considering specific observations and taking time to come up with a universal theory or hypothesis. When the results of different studies are found to be consistent across places, time, and persons, such observations can therefore be generalized into a theory (Elfil & Negida, 2017).
Reference
- Elfil, M., & Negida, A. (2017). Sampling methods in Clinical Research; an Educational Review. Emergency (Tehran, Iran), 5(1), e52.
