Hi Rowland
Yes I do share your concern, I must admit I have not come across the
term used in the context of qualitative research or indeed sampling
in general. The term implies (for me at least) a lack of organisation and an absence of
forethought in planning. I accept that a strict dictionary definition
suggests that the term can be used to represent a casual or mere
chance occurence, in this context then I guess you could argue that
the term might be taken to mean the same as the sampling approach we
know as a convenience sample. Despite this I still feel uneasy about
the term haphazard. In my (albeit limited) experience, researchers
are rarely 'haphazard' in their selection of research questions or
problems for investigation. For me at least, it follows that
decisions re sampling are also likley to be deliberate and based upon
intentions to provide information and explanation about the research
questions. This is not properly represented by the term 'haphazard' in
my opinion.
I look forward to other comments.
David
David Clarke
Lecturer
Division of Nursing
School of Healthcare Studies
Baines Wing
PO Box 214
Leeds
LS2 9UT
Tel: 0113 2331298
email: [log in to unmask]
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