Sampling theory and its generalizability in nursing research
Sampling theory is a field in statistics that is involved with collection and interpretation of
data from random population samples. It studies any existing relationships between the
random samples drawn and the population of study. For example, if a drug manufacturer
would like to research the adverse effects of a drug on the country’s population, it is almost
impossible to conduct a research study that involves everyone. In this case, the researcher
decides a sample of people from each demographic, and then researches them, giving
him/her indicative feedback on the drug’s behavior.
Generalizability
Since researchers generally do not have access to the full population of interest for a
research project (the target population), they must rely on studying a subset of that
population (the study sample). Let’s understand the concept of generalizability of sampling
in nursing research with the help of an example. For instance, if nursing researchers were
interested in exploring issues related to lung cancer, it is not likely they would have access
to all lung cancer patients in the country. Instead they would recruit a sample of lung cancer
patients, such as willing participants from a regional oncology center.
Accessible potential research who meet the research subject selection criteria create the
sampling frame from which the study sample is drawn. Ultimately, researchers hope to
make generalizations about the target population based on data collected from the study
sample. Generalizability refers to the inferences that can be made about the target
population based on results from the study sample.
Sampling theory is a field in statistics that is involved with collection and interpretation of
data from random population samples. It studies any existing relationships between the
random samples drawn and the population of study. For example, if a drug manufacturer
would like to research the adverse effects of a drug on the country’s population, it is almost
impossible to conduct a research study that involves everyone. In this case, the researcher
decides a sample of people from each demographic, and then researches them, giving
him/her indicative feedback on the drug’s behavior.
Generalizability
Since researchers generally do not have access to the full population of interest for a
research project (the target population), they must rely on studying a subset of that
population (the study sample). Let’s understand the concept of generalizability of sampling
in nursing research with the help of an example. For instance, if nursing researchers were
interested in exploring issues related to lung cancer, it is not likely they would have access
to all lung cancer patients in the country. Instead they would recruit a sample of lung cancer
patients, such as willing participants from a regional oncology center.
Accessible potential research who meet the research subject selection criteria create the
sampling frame from which the study sample is drawn. Ultimately, researchers hope to
make generalizations about the target population based on data collected from the study
sample. Generalizability refers to the inferences that can be made about the target
population based on results from the study sample.
