ArticleQuality & quantity2018
Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization.
Article in Quality & quantity, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 8 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 4,474 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
4,474 citing papers in PubMed.
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- Web-Based Gamified Auditory-Cognitive Dual-Task Training for Older Adults With Age-Related Hearing Loss: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR aging · 2026Trial
- Managing uncertainty in antibiotic decisions: factors influencing antibiotic use among chinese parents of children in a multi-source information environment.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026Article
- Caregiving experiences of older spouses with frailty: an exploratory qualitative study.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026Article
- Participants' experiences with the hybrid digital psychotherapy intervention-DIGIT for obesity and distress: A qualitative interview study.Internet interventions · 2026Article
- Struggles in providing psychosocial support services to survivors of the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes from professionals' experiences.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
- HPV vaccine uptake in Pakistan: A qualitative study to identify barriers and facilitators before the first HPV national rollout.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2026Article
- Community voices on health, wellness, and engagement: A qualitative process evaluation of a university extension program.Dialogues in health · 2026Article
- Adaptive professionalism among rural primary care pharmacists: A qualitative study of stunting prevention practice in eastern Indonesia.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Current practices, opportunities to improve, and behavioral targets related to HPV vaccination in community pharmacies: A qualitative study of pharmacy staff and parents.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2026Article
- A measurement tool to capture sexual harassment among women in Tanzania: results from cognitive testing.Global health action · 2026Article
- Shared decision-making experiences regarding urinary diversion among Chinese patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A qualitative study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2026Article
- Adaption of a posttraumatic stress disorder intervention for patients who use stimulants and opioids in the opioid treatment programme setting.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
- Beyond technology: Understanding digital healthcare through patient experience and sociotechnical resilience in Northern Ghana.Dialogues in health · 2026Article
- Development and formative evaluation of a follow-up checklist for patients who have undergone sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer based on the Supportive Care Framework.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2026Article
- Systemic challenges in the supply and distribution of medicines in conflict-affected areas of Mali: a qualitative study.Global health action · 2026Article
- Engaging youth in health and research in rural Cambodia: a qualitative study.Global health action · 2026Article
- Adaptation of the CONOCES-BLS scale to citizens: evidence of content validity and preliminary psychometric evaluation.Resuscitation plus · 2026Article
4,414 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Saturation has attained widespread acceptance as a methodological principle in qualitative research. It is commonly taken to indicate that, on the basis of the data that have been collected or analysed hitherto, further data collection and/or analysis are unnecessary. However, there appears to be uncertainty as to how saturation should be conceptualized, and inconsistencies in its use. In this paper, we look to clarify the nature, purposes and uses of saturation, and in doing so add to theoretical debate on the role of saturation across different methodologies. We identify four distinct approaches to saturation, which differ in terms of the extent to which an inductive or a deductive logic is adopted, and the relative emphasis on data collection, data analysis, and theorizing. We explore the purposes saturation might serve in relation to these different approaches, and the implications for how and when saturation will be sought. In examining these issues, we highlight the uncertain logic underlying saturation-as essentially a predictive statement about the unobserved based on the observed, a judgement that, we argue, results in equivocation, and may in part explain the confusion surrounding its use. We conclude that saturation should be operationalized in a way that is consistent with the research question(s), and the theoretical position and analytic framework adopted, but also that there should be some limit to its scope, so as not to risk saturation losing its coherence and potency if its conceptualization and uses are stretched too widely.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.