Resources | Center for Healthcare Policy and Research | UC Davis Health

Sample size

• Malterud, K., Siersma, V. D., & Guassora, A. D. (2016). Sample size in qualitative interview studies: guided by information power. Qualitative health research, 26(13), 1753-1760.
• Sarfo, J. O., Debrah, T., Gbordzoe, N. I., Afful, W. T., & Obeng, P. (2021). Qualitative research designs, sample size and saturation: is enough always enough. Journal of Advocacy, Research and Education, 8(3), 60-65.
• Sim, J., Saunders, B., Waterfield, J., & Kingstone, T. (2018). Can sample size in qualitative research be determined a priori? International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 21(5), 619–634.
• Wutich, A., Beresford, M., & Bernard, H. R. (2024). Sample sizes for 10 types of qualitative data analysis: an integrative review, empirical guidance, and next steps. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 16094069241296206.

Sampling

• Gill, S. L. (2020). Qualitative sampling methods. Journal of Human Lactation, 36(4), 579-581.
• Guetterman, T. (2015). Descriptions of sampling practices within five approaches to qualitative research in education and the health sciences.
• Nyimbili, F., & Nyimbili, L. (2024). Types of purposive sampling techniques with their examples and application in qualitative research studies. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies, 5(1), 90-99.
• Rapley, T. (2014). Sampling strategies in qualitative research. The SAGE handbook of qualitative data analysis, 4, 49-63.

Research design

• Cresswell, J. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches.

Rigor

• Berger, R. (2015). Now I see it, now I don’t: Researcher’s position and reflexivity in qualitative research. Qualitative research, 15(2), 219-234.
• Birt, L., Scott, S., Cavers, D., Campbell, C., & Walter, F. (2016). Member checking: a tool to enhance trustworthiness or merely a nod to validation?. Qualitative health research, 26(13), 1802-1811.
• Patton, M. Q. (1999). Enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis. Health services research, 34(5 Pt 2), 1189.
• Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International journal for quality in health care, 19(6), 349-357.

Evaluation

• Patton, M. Q. (1987). How to use qualitative methods in evaluation (No. 4). Sage.

Interviewing

• DiCicco‐Bloom, B., & Crabtree, B. F. (2006). The qualitative research interview. Medical education, 40(4), 314-321.
• Jacob, S. A., & Furgerson, S. P. (2012). Writing Interview Protocols and Conducting Interviews: tips for students new to the field of qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, Vol. 17.
• McGrath, C., Palmgren, P. J., & Liljedahl, M. (2019). Twelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews. Medical teacher, 41(9), 1002-1006.
• Roberts, R. E. (2020). Qualitative Interview Questions: Guidance for Novice Researchers. Qualitative Report, 25(9).
  Focus Groups
• Hennink, M. M. (2013). Focus group discussions. Oxford University Press.
• Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2002). Designing and conducting focus group interviews (Vol. 18).
• Morgan, D. L. (1996). Focus groups. Annual review of sociology, 22(1), 129-152.

Observations

• Chughtai, H., & Myers, M. D. (2017). Entering the field in qualitative field research: A rite of passage into a complex practice world. Information Systems Journal, 27(6), 795-817.
• Mulhall, A. (2003). In the field: notes on observation in qualitative research. Journal of advanced nursing, 41(3), 306-313.
• Smit, B., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2018). Observations in qualitative inquiry: When what you see is not what you see. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 17(1), 1609406918816766.

Memoing

• Birks, M., Chapman, Y., & Francis, K. (2008). Memoing in qualitative research: Probing data and processes. Journal of research in nursing, 13(1), 68-75.
• Keane, E. (2022). Critical analytic memoing. Analyzing and interpreting qualitative research: After the interview, 259-274.

Coding and analyzing

• Abramson, C. M., & Dohan, D. (2015). Beyond text: Using arrays to represent and analyze ethnographic data. Sociological methodology, 45(1), 272-319.
• Auerbach, C., & Silverstein, L. B. (2003). Qualitative data: An introduction to coding and analysis (Vol. 21). NYU press.
• Basit, T. (2003). Manual or electronic? The role of coding in qualitative data analysis. Educational research, 45(2), 143-154.
• Birks, M., & Mills, J. (2015). Grounded theory: A practical guide. Sage.
• Chametzky, B. (2016). Coding in classic grounded theory: I’ve done an interview; now what?. Sociology Mind, 6(04), 163.
• Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. Sage.
• Charmaz, K., & Thornberg, R. (2021). The pursuit of quality in grounded theory. Qualitative research in psychology, 18(3), 305-327.
• Cho, J. Y., & Lee, E. H. (2014). Reducing confusion about grounded theory and qualitative content analysis: Similarities and differences. Qualitative report, 19(32).
• Corbin, J. & Strauss, A. L.  (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
• DeCuir-Gunby, J. T., Marshall, P. L., & McCulloch, A. W. (2011). Developing and using a codebook for the analysis of interview data: An example from a professional development research project. Field methods, 23(2), 136-155.
• Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2011). The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Sage.
• Dixon-Woods, M., & Bosk, C. (2010). Learning through observation: the role of ethnography in improving critical care. Current Opinion in Critical Care, 16(6), 639-642.
• Glaser, B. G. (2019). Grounded description: No no. The SAGE handbook of current developments in grounded theory, 441-445.
• Hackett, P., & Hayre, C. (Eds.). (2020). Handbook of ethnography in healthcare research. Routledge.
• Hollweck, T. (2015). Robert K. Yin.(2014). Case Study Research Design and Methods. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 30(1), 108-110.
• Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative health research, 15(9), 1277-1288.
• Kafle, N. P. (2011). Hermeneutic phenomenological research method simplified. Bodhi: An interdisciplinary journal, 5(1), 181-200.
• Lai, C. K. (2010). Narrative and narrative enquiry in health and social sciences. Nurse Researcher, 17(3).
• Ryan, G. W., & Bernard, H. R. (2003). Techniques to identify themes. Field methods, 15(1), 85-109.
• Saldaña, J. (2021). The coding manual for qualitative researchers.
• Savage, J. (2006). Ethnographic evidence: The value of applied ethnography in healthcare. Journal of research in Nursing, 11(5), 383-393.
• Vaismoradi, M., Jones, J., Turunen, H., & Snelgrove, S. (2016). Theme development in qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis.
• Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing & health sciences, 15(3), 398-405.
• Wolfinger, N. H.  (2002). On writing fieldnotes: Collection strategies and background expectancies. Qualitative Research, 2(1), 85-95.  
• Yazan, B. (2015). Three approaches to case study methods in education: Yin, Merriam, and Stake.
• Yin, R. K. (2009). How to do better case studies. The SAGE handbook of applied social research methods, 2(254-282).

Mixed methods

• Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
• Curry, L., & Nunez-Smith, M. (2014). Mixed methods in health sciences research: A practical primer (Vol. 1). Sage publications.
• Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Teddlie, C. (2003). A framework for analyzing data in mixed methods research. Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research, 2(1), 397-430.