Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34394687›Full record

ArticleJournal of research in nursing : JRN2020

Purposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples.

Steve Campbell, Melanie Greenwood, Sarah Prior, Toniele Shearer, Kerrie Walkem, Sarah Young, Danielle Bywaters, Kim Walker

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of research in nursing : JRN, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05700890 (Adaptation of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist to High-Income Healthcare Settings - Phase III), which is not on this map. Cited by 587 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
587citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05700890 unknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Adaptation of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist to High-Income Healthcare Settings - Phase III: Site Testing Study

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of CalgaryRan2023 to 2025Enrolled1,000ConditionsSurgical Procedure, Unspecified, Communications Personnel, Tool Use Behavior
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

587 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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  14. An Innovative Approach in Cultural Competence Education: Use of the Pecha Kucha Method.Journal of transcultural nursing : official journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society · 2026
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527 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Steve CampbellProfessor of Clinical Redesign, Nursing, Associate Head Research, School of Nursing, University of Tasmania, College of Health and Medicine, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4830-8488
Melanie GreenwoodAssociate Professor, Director Post Graduate Courses, School of Nursing, University of Tasmania, College of Health and Medicine, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5840-0750
Sarah PriorLecturer, Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, College of Health and Medicine, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5782-9141
Toniele ShearerLecturer, PhD Candidate, School of Nursing, University of Tasmania, College of Health and Medicine, Australia.
Kerrie WalkemLecturer, PhD Candidate, School of Nursing, University of Tasmania, College of Health and Medicine, Australia.
Sarah YoungProfessor of Health Care Improvement, School of Nursing, University of Tasmania, College of Health and Medicine, School of Health Science, Australia.
Danielle BywatersLecturer, PhD Candidate, School of Nursing, University of Tasmania, College of Health and Medicine, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1290-6101
Kim WalkerPhD Candidate, School of Nursing, University of Tasmania, College of Health and Medicine, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPurposive sampling has a long developmental history and there are as many views that it is simple and straightforward as there are about its complexity. The reason for purposive sampling is the better matching of the sample to the aims and objectives of the research, thus improving the rigour of the study and trustworthiness of the data and results. Four aspects to this concept have previously been described: credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability.

aimsThe aim of this paper is to outline the nature and intent of purposive sampling, presenting three different case studies as examples of its application in different contexts.

resultsPresenting individual case studies has highlighted how purposive sampling can be integrated into varying contexts dependent on study design. The sampling strategies clearly situate each study in terms of trustworthiness for data collection and analysis. The selected approach to purposive sampling used in each case aligns to the research methodology, aims and objectives, thus addressing each of the aspects of rigour.

conclusionsMaking explicit the approach used for participant sampling provides improved methodological rigour as judged by the four aspects of trustworthiness. The cases presented provide a guide for novice researchers of how rigour may be addressed in qualitative research.

Indexed as

interview researchnovice nurse researcherspurposive samplingstudy designtrustworthiness

Identifiers

PMID34394687
PMCPMC7932468

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.