Cover Image

Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants

One primary concern in researching journalistic practice and media production is the difficulty of gaining research access to media organizations and their media professionals. This paper theorizes Small World Sampling method for identifying and recruiting participants for qualitative research. Base...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Firdaus, Amira Sariyati, Aksar, Iffat Ali, Gong, Jiankun
Format: Article
Published: SAGE Publications Ltd 2024
Subjects:
Communication. Mass media
Online Access:http://eprints.um.edu.my/44845/
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
id my.um.eprints.44845
record_format eprints
spelling my.um.eprints.448452024-10-07T08:26:35Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/44845/ Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants Firdaus, Amira Sariyati Aksar, Iffat Ali Gong, Jiankun Communication. Mass media One primary concern in researching journalistic practice and media production is the difficulty of gaining research access to media organizations and their media professionals. This paper theorizes Small World Sampling method for identifying and recruiting participants for qualitative research. Based on an ethnographic interview study involving 32 journalists at six different international news organizations, our Small World Sampling method created a direct research path into journalists’ professional occupational networks without having to negotiate indirect access through their non-journalist organizational gatekeepers (e.g. PR executives, HR department, managers). Small World Sampling allows the participant selection process to be guided by media practitioners’ expert and in-group knowledge of their professional network of media colleagues and acquaintances. More methodologically important, our Small World Sampling protocol offers a novel technique for demonstrating the qualitative reliability of the sampling process and for establishing the qualitative validity of the sample under study. Additionally, the paper introduces the concept of ‘contextual case studies’ offering additional nuance and insights enriching the conclusions drawn from the project’s main case studies. Beyond media and journalism research, we propose that Small World Sampling may also prove useful for other fields to facilitate research access into closed organizations, elite networks, and hidden communities. © The Author(s) 2022. SAGE Publications Ltd 2024 Article PeerReviewed Firdaus, Amira Sariyati and Aksar, Iffat Ali and Gong, Jiankun (2024) Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants. Journalism, 25 (2). 466 – 485. ISSN 1464-8849, DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849221124997 <https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849221124997>. 10.1177/14648849221124997
institution Universiti Malaya
building UM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Malaya
content_source UM Research Repository
url_provider http://eprints.um.edu.my/
topic Communication. Mass media
spellingShingle Communication. Mass media
Firdaus, Amira Sariyati
Aksar, Iffat Ali
Gong, Jiankun
Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants
description One primary concern in researching journalistic practice and media production is the difficulty of gaining research access to media organizations and their media professionals. This paper theorizes Small World Sampling method for identifying and recruiting participants for qualitative research. Based on an ethnographic interview study involving 32 journalists at six different international news organizations, our Small World Sampling method created a direct research path into journalists’ professional occupational networks without having to negotiate indirect access through their non-journalist organizational gatekeepers (e.g. PR executives, HR department, managers). Small World Sampling allows the participant selection process to be guided by media practitioners’ expert and in-group knowledge of their professional network of media colleagues and acquaintances. More methodologically important, our Small World Sampling protocol offers a novel technique for demonstrating the qualitative reliability of the sampling process and for establishing the qualitative validity of the sample under study. Additionally, the paper introduces the concept of ‘contextual case studies’ offering additional nuance and insights enriching the conclusions drawn from the project’s main case studies. Beyond media and journalism research, we propose that Small World Sampling may also prove useful for other fields to facilitate research access into closed organizations, elite networks, and hidden communities. © The Author(s) 2022.
format Article
author Firdaus, Amira Sariyati
Aksar, Iffat Ali
Gong, Jiankun
author_facet Firdaus, Amira Sariyati
Aksar, Iffat Ali
Gong, Jiankun
author_sort Firdaus, Amira Sariyati
title Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants
title_short Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants
title_full Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants
title_fullStr Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants
title_full_unstemmed Small world sampling: Qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants
title_sort small world sampling: qualitative sample reliability and validity for efficient and effective recruitment of journalists as research participants
publisher SAGE Publications Ltd
publishDate 2024
url http://eprints.um.edu.my/44845/
_version_ 1814047533376208896
score 13.211869

Similar Items