A research study should not only start with an efficient study design to address the hypothesis of the study but also the determination of the appropriate number of participants in the study. The sample size is dependent on the study design, on statistical analysis used to answer the study questions, and on the anticipated association between the outcome and the risk factor. The size a sample should not be too large because it wastes money and time both to the investigators and participants involved in the study. The small size sample may lead to inaccurate results and causes to waste time and resources. In addition to the other reasons, participates in a large sample size may be exposed to unnecessary risk. Therefore, the researchers should take careful attention while determining the appropriate sample size for their studies to avoid the question of ethical practices.
The role of researchers is define the main objective of the study or the research question and the study design before selecting a representative sample size. Then they consider the proportion of participants, and the value of the numbers to put in the formula before determining the sample size. Kamangar & Islami (2013) states that the non-statistical consideration in determining the sample size are the availability of the fund, ethical issues, number of participants available, the novelty of the study, and any similar studies being conducted etc. The investigators give the rationale why their study is
A review of the proposed participants of the study will ensure high-risk groups (if any) will be considered as per the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (‘National Statement’; NHMRC, 2007). While some of these high-risk
The main purpose of the most researchers in conducting a research study is to achieve a statistically significant result. When we say statistically significant, it means that the result in a research study was not attributed to chance. In addition, it also means
This provides a guideline that ensures that researchers minimize the amount of risk a study may impose to a participant. When planning a study, it is also important that each of the participants are provided with a sense of security and not placed at a disadvantage. When participants enter into a study, a level of trust is established, and their identities and the information they provide must be protected and never be used against them or exploited for any reason.
Based upon information provided this study was appropriate conducted as a purposeful sampling but, this study
According to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007, the assessment of risk-benefit ratio and consent from the participants are two important concerns of conducting any human research. These two issues help the participants to make an informed decision so that they can understand and outweigh the significance and possibilities of harm independently (Emanuel, 2008). Being a researcher, I would follow the National Statement on Ethical Conduct In Human Research 2007, hence, I must assess the magnitude of possible harm (physical, psychological, social, economic or legal) for the participants and handling the risk by identifying resources and monitoring them, thus, reducing the risk of their occurrence. (National statement on ethical conduct in human research,
Many randomised controlled trials involve large sample sizes because many treatments have relatively small effects. The size of the expected effect of the intervention is the main determinant of the sample size necessary to conduct a successful randomized controlled trial. Obtaining statistically significant differences between two samples is easy if large differences are expected. However, the smaller the expected effect of the intervention, the larger the sample size needed to be able to conclude, with enough power, that the differences are unlikely to be due to chance
Prior to this course I thought I could look at current research and appraise a study; however, after this course I determined my knowledge about research studies was limited. Now when I look at the sampling methods and how the data was analyzed I can review it with a new lens. This is especially evident with how samples are determined. Establishing how a sample will be taken is of utmost importance and according to Polit and Beck (2017) validity of a study is directly impacted by how the sample is obtained and how it can be generalized to the overall population. Many factors can cause a sample to not be representative or result in bias through convenience sampling. When I look at a study now I look at
This chapter will discuss and outline the case study and the ethical consideration of the research. Research is a mutual undertaking between researchers and participants and therefore, must be handled with trust and fairmindedness. This is to “avoid harm to participants, ensure informed consent of participants, respect the privacy of participants and to avoid the use of deception” (Gray, 2011, p.73). Furthermore, consent must be given without coercion, meaning that participants fully understand the actions of the research and how the results will be used, Burns (2000).
The research design used in this study was correlational. The correlational design allows the determination of existence or degree of relationship between two variables. In this study gender was used as the nominal independent variable and hours spent in in Pinterest weekly was the dependent variable. The correlational research method was chosen because it allows relevant evidence to be collected and the data collected is directly related to the research question. This type of study manages variations, identifies relationships between variables, and produces answer to the research question. The purpose of the research had to reflect on the research design in order to reveal whether or not there was a statistical significance, in this case
In this case, the study's population of interest is Head Start preschool children. The sample size of this study is the summation of 40 fulltime preschool children. The social economic status makeup of these children and their families closely represents the makeup of the majority of Head Start preschooler children and their families all throughout the nation. Also this Head Start was located in a large metropolitan area, specifically in the mid-Atlantic region, with an attending total of 246 children (Lobo & Winsler, 2012). The 40 children were then randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. At a glance, this number may seem great in relation to what was stated by Cozby (2012): "a known rule of thumb is to have at least 20 to 30 participants within each condition group” (p. 164). Although this is excuted in this study, a much greater number was needed to accurately represent all the children in Head Start programs throughout the nation. A study is strengthened by having a larger sample size especially when dealing with larger populations, this then reduces the confidence interval, improves the accuracy of the study, and provides a more accurate insight into the population of interest (Cozby, 2012). A study’s sample size is the determining factor in carrying out a strong study, yet still, confounding variables exist which is why an experimental
3. Sample Population: Who exactly was used in the study? How many? (Be as specific as possible.)
When conducting a study, it is impossible to collect data from the whole population, therefore it is important to select a representative sample because sampling makes it possible to select a representative for study and discover things that apply to many more people who are not studies (Maxfield & Babbie, 2012). The purpose of sampling is to generate a set of individuals or other entitles that give us a valid picture of all such individual or other entitles. It is important to generalise from a sample to unobserved population the sample in intended to represent. Therefore, when selecting a group of subjects for study, it is important to ensure that we represent some larger population.
Sample (sampling techniques, sample size, sample characteristics) Two authors independently reviewed the references to identify studies for inclusion and extracted data to assessed risk of bias in all included studies.
The article of focus for the purposes of this task is "Influence of perceived co-worker involvement and supervisory support on job satisfaction." (Okediji, Etuk, & Nnedum, 2011) The authors tested hypotheses charting the relationship among several factors that contribute to job satisfaction. The participants of the study were employees of a brewery and were selected at random. There were equal numbers of males and females. The ages of participants spanned ages 18 40. The empirical study confirmed both the hypotheses of the researchers regarding job satisfaction, co-worker involvement, and supervisory involvement during the working day. The authors explain, "Job satisfaction is more simply conceived of as the response of an individual to the condition of work, as these perceptions are shaped by objective differences in work conditions and different interpretations of the conditions." (Okediji, Etuk, & Nnedum, 2011)
In future studies, the sample should be drawn from more than one university, and that a larger sample size should be used as well.