Discussion: Sampling and Collecting Quantitative andQualitative DataIt is often not possible or practical to study an entirepopulation, so researchers draw samples from which theymake inferences about a population of interest. Inquantitative research, where generalization to a population istypically valued, a researcher’s ability to make suchinferences is only as good as the sampling strategy she or heuses to obtain the sample. Once an appropriate sample hasbeen obtained, data collection should involve valid andreliable measures to ensure confidence in the results, as wellas the ability to generalize the research outcomes. Althoughgeneralization is typically not a goal in qualitative research,sampling is just as important in qualitative and mixedmethods research, as is obtaining reliable and valid results.Indeed, for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodsresearch, sampling strategies and accurate data collectionmethods are critical aspects of the research process.Specific methods of data collection (e.g., surveys, interviews,observations) produce specific types of data that will answerparticular research questions, but not others; so here too, ascovered in previous weeks, the research questions informhow the data will be obtained. Furthermore, the method usedto collect the data may impact the reliability and the validityof that data.For this Discussion, you will first consider sampling
