A note on the topic of "population and sample" in qualitative and quantitative research: for MBA and Housing Studies students

A note on the topic of "population and sample" in qualitative and quantitative research: for MBA and Housing Studies students (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "Highlight the main ideas underlying the topic of "population and sample" of the qualitative research method design and the quantitative research method design. Then, make a comparison of them in these two type of research method design."

The reply: "The main ideas underlying the topic of "population and sample" in qualitative and quantitative research method designs are as follows:

Population and Sample in Quantitative Research:

• The population is the entire group or phenomenon being studied, from which a sample is drawn to represent it.

• Quantitative research seeks to select a sample that is unbiased and representative of the population through randomization and predefined sampling techniques.

• Sample size in quantitative research is predetermined and is often large to ensure inclusion of diverse backgrounds, enabling generalization of findings to the entire population.

• The purpose of sampling is to make statistical inferences and generalize results from the sample to the larger population.

• Representativeness and minimizing bias are critical in quantitative sampling to ensure validity and reliability of results.

Population and Sample in Qualitative Research:

• The population can be more loosely defined, with the sample selected purposefully based on characteristics like knowledge about the subject or typicality.

• Sample selection in qualitative research is guided by non-random, judgement-based considerations to gain in-depth understanding.

• Sample size is not predetermined but is determined by data saturation—the point where no new information emerges.

• The focus is on gaining rich, detailed insights about individuals or cases, not on statistical generalization.

• Sampling may be biased deliberately to select 'information-rich' cases relevant for the study.

Comparison of Population and Sample in Qualitative vs Quantitative Research:

• Quantitative research prioritizes representativeness and generalizability to the whole population, while qualitative research prioritizes information richness and depth of understanding.

• Sampling in quantitative research is random and unbiased, while qualitative sampling is purposeful and biased to some extent.

• Quantitative sample sizes are larger and fixed ahead of time; qualitative sample sizes are smaller and determined by saturation.

• Quantitative aims to generalize findings; qualitative aims for deep contextual insight.

• The conceptualization of population in quantitative research is concrete and well-defined; in qualitative research, it may be more flexible or hypothetical.

This understanding highlights how population and sample are conceptualized and utilized differently in qualitative and quantitative research designs, reflecting their distinct research goals and methodologies.

If a detailed side-by-side comparison table is preferred, I can prepare that next. Would that be helpful? The main ideas underlying "population and sample" in qualitative and quantitative research designs are:

Quantitative Research

• The population is the entire group of interest, often well-defined and concrete.

• Sampling aims to select a random, unbiased, and representative subset to enable statistical generalization to the whole population.

• Sample size is predetermined, often relatively large to capture population diversity and ensure validity and reliability.

• The purpose is to make inferences and generalize findings from the sample to the population.

Qualitative Research

• The population is often more flexible or loosely defined.

• Sampling is purposeful or judgmental, selecting cases or individuals with rich, relevant information related to the research question.

• Sample size is not fixed but depends on reaching data saturation, when no new themes emerge.

• The aim is to gain deep, contextual, and detailed understanding from a smaller group, rather than generalize widely.

Comparison 

Aspect	Quantitative Research	Qualitative Research
Population concept	Well-defined, entire group under study	Flexible or loosely defined
Sampling method	Random, unbiased, representative	Purposeful, judgmental, selected for information richness
Sample size determination	Predetermined, often large	Determined by data saturation
Objective of sampling	Generalize findings to the whole population	Obtain in-depth, contextual insights
Use of sample	Statistical inference and generalization	Exploration and detailed understanding

 

This shows the fundamental differences in how population and sample are approached in these two research designs, aligned with their different goals and philosophies."

My question 2: "Please clarify the discussion a bit more with reference to the following research topics:

1. MBA related: "to investigate the perceptions of the gen y consumers in Hong Kong on the employer brands of the Hong Kong 5-star hotels"

2. Housing studies related: "to investigate the perceptions of middle-class gen z in Hong Kong on the housing affordability situation in Hong Kong""

The reply: "To clarify the discussion on population and sample in qualitative vs quantitative research with reference to the two research topics:

1. MBA-related topic: Investigating perceptions of Gen Y consumers in Hong Kong on employer brands of Hong Kong 5-star hotels

   • Population: All Gen Y consumers in Hong Kong who have experience or knowledge about employer brands of 5-star hotels.

   • Quantitative design: Would select a large, random, and representative sample of Gen Y consumers (using age criteria and hotel experience) to generalize findings across the population. Sample size may be statistically calculated to ensure confidence.

   • Qualitative design: Would purposefully select information-rich participants like experienced Gen Y consumers familiar with hotel employment, aiming for depth through interviews or focus groups. Sample size determined by saturation, smaller than quantitative.

2. Housing studies topic: Investigating perceptions of middle-class Gen Z in Hong Kong on housing affordability

   • Population: All middle-class Gen Z individuals in Hong Kong concerned with housing affordability.

   • Quantitative design: Would define middle class by income bracket and randomly sample a sufficiently large sample from Gen Z in Hong Kong to generalize affordability perceptions.

   • Qualitative design: Would purposefully select Middle-class Gen Z individuals with diverse housing experiences or views to explore in detail through qualitative methods. Sample size smaller, chosen for richness of perspectives.

Summary:

• In both topics, quantitative sampling aims to represent all target group members (Gen Y or Gen Z) for statistical generalization.

• Qualitative sampling chooses smaller, specific participants best suited for deep exploration of perceptions.

• Quantitative samples are larger, random, and representative; qualitative are smaller, purposive, and saturation-driven.

• The population is defined concretely in quantitative research (age groups, income brackets) but more flexibly in qualitative settings based on study needs.

This contextualizes how population and sample choices differ in qualitative vs quantitative approaches for these MBA and housing research topics."

Useful videos: (1) Sampling Techniques Explained and (2) Population, Target Population, and Sample in Research.

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.