What is sampling theory? Describe it and provide examples to illustrate your definition.

Discuss

generalizability as it applies to nursing research.

The theory was generally developed in order to determine which of the ways used in acquiring

a sample that reflects accurately on the population under study is most effective. The key

concepts of the theory are target population, populations, eligibility or sampling criteria,

elements, accessible population, representativeness, sampling plans or methods, and sampling

frames (Burns & Groves, 2013). A sampling method or plan outlines the strategies used in

obtaining a sample for different studies. Just like in a design, this plan does not attach itself to a

specific to any study. It is designed in a way that increases representatives while at the same time

decreasing systematic bias or variation. The plans can also use random or probability or

nonrandom which are nonprobability methods. When resulting to appraise a study, one should

result to identify the study through the use of sampling plan as being nonprobability or

probability. This should lead to the determination of the primary method used in selecting the

sample.

The research population, design as well as setting include the important components that

are useful in answering the research questions. It also informs the nurses whether the findings

would be relevant to the practice. In order for nurses to be consumers of the research, for

example, they should be able to critique the theory being tested, determine whether the design is

able to answer the question as well as if the sample supports generalization. An example includes

an attempt to determine the percentage of the satisfaction rate of patients that attended a certain

hospital for 4 weeks. 15 patients may be taken randomly in a day in order to represent the total

number of patients that attended.

 Generalizability refers to the extension of a research finding as well as conclusions from

the study conducted on sample population to the large population. An example includes when a

person wants to find out the percentage of people who smoke in a certain country. A sample

would be taken in order to represent the entire population as well as findings taken to represent

the general population.

References

Burns, N., Grove, S. (2011). Understanding Nursing Research, 5th Edition. [Pageburstl].

Retrieved from https://pageburstls.elsevier.com/#/books/978-1-4377-0750-2/