Process / pipelineSampling

Maximum Variation Sampling — Maximum Variation Purposive Sampling

Maximum variation sampling is a purposive qualitative sampling strategy in which the researcher deliberately selects cases that span the widest possible range of variation on dimensions central to the study. The goal is not statistical representation but the identification of common patterns that cut across diverse cases as well as the documentation of the unique ways each context shapes the phenomenon under investigation.

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Sources

  1. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.). Sage. Chapter 5: Purposeful Sampling. ISBN: 978-0761919711
  2. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Sage. ISBN: 978-0803924314

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Referenced by

ScholarGateMaximum Variation Sampling (Maximum Variation Purposive Sampling). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/survey-methodology/maximum-variation-sampling