Journal article
Assessing data adequacy in qualitative research studies
- Abstract:
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When undertaking qualitative research studies, researchers often use the concept of data saturation to justify sufficient sampling to cease data collection and analysis. We argue that this reveals a positivist perspective that is incompatible with qualitative research,1 which is instead based on constructivist, interpretivist, or other perspectives. Instead, we recommended the concepts of information power,2conceptual depth,3 and theoretical sufficiency,1,4,5 with data adequacy considered during research design and evaluated iteratively throughout the sampling, data collection, and analysis processes. The table below provides guidelines for when more, or less, data are needed to justify cessation of data collection and analysis. Both researchers and readers can use the criteria for assessing data adequacy.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Not peer reviewed
Actions
Access Document
- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 1.0MB, Terms of use)
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- Publisher copy:
- 10.1097/acm.0000000000005972
Authors
- Publisher:
- Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins
- Journal:
- Academic Medicine More from this journal
- Volume:
- 100
- Issue:
- 6
- Pages:
- 758
- Publication date:
- 2025-01-06
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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1938-808X
- ISSN:
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1040-2446
- Pmid:
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39774066
- Language:
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English
- Pubs id:
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2078786
- Local pid:
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pubs:2078786
- Deposit date:
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2025-02-26
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Copyright date:
- 2025
- Rights statement:
- Copyright © 2025 the Association of American Medical Colleges
- Notes:
- The author accepted manuscript (AAM) of this paper has been made available under the University of Oxford's Open Access Publications Policy, and a CC BY public copyright licence has been applied.
- Licence:
- CC Attribution (CC BY)
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