Pilot Theoretical Sampling
Pilot theoretical sampling applies the logic of theoretical sampling — selecting participants based on emerging concepts and theory — within a deliberate pilot or preliminary phase of a study. Rather than committing immediately to a full sampling strategy, the researcher conducts a small initial round of data collection and analysis to test whether theoretical sampling is feasible, to refine the sensitizing concepts guiding participant selection, and to identify whether the field is productive before full-scale data collection begins.
Source record
Citations copied verbatim from the method’s source record. No claim-level verification is inferred from them.
- Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine. · ISBN 978-0202302607
- Thabane, L., Ma, J., Chu, R., Cheng, J., Ismaila, A., Rios, L. P., ... & Goldsmith, C. H. (2010). A tutorial on pilot studies: the what, why and how. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 10(1), 1. · DOI 10.1186/1471-2288-10-1
Curated claims
Claims persisted in the evidence ledger, each with its own assessment.
This view does not invent a claim assessment when the ledger has none.
Related methods
Generated from the method graph and shown as machine-suggested relations — no evidence claim is inferred.