IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/qualqt/v52y2018i4d10.1007_s11135-017-0574-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin Saunders

    (Keele University)

  • Julius Sim

    (Keele University)

  • Tom Kingstone

    (Keele University)

  • Shula Baker

    (Keele University)

  • Jackie Waterfield

    (Queen Margaret University)

  • Bernadette Bartlam

    (Keele University)

  • Heather Burroughs

    (Keele University)

  • Clare Jinks

    (Keele University)

Abstract

Saturation has attained widespread acceptance as a methodological principle in qualitative research. It is commonly taken to indicate that, on the basis of the data that have been collected or analysed hitherto, further data collection and/or analysis are unnecessary. However, there appears to be uncertainty as to how saturation should be conceptualized, and inconsistencies in its use. In this paper, we look to clarify the nature, purposes and uses of saturation, and in doing so add to theoretical debate on the role of saturation across different methodologies. We identify four distinct approaches to saturation, which differ in terms of the extent to which an inductive or a deductive logic is adopted, and the relative emphasis on data collection, data analysis, and theorizing. We explore the purposes saturation might serve in relation to these different approaches, and the implications for how and when saturation will be sought. In examining these issues, we highlight the uncertain logic underlying saturation—as essentially a predictive statement about the unobserved based on the observed, a judgement that, we argue, results in equivocation, and may in part explain the confusion surrounding its use. We conclude that saturation should be operationalized in a way that is consistent with the research question(s), and the theoretical position and analytic framework adopted, but also that there should be some limit to its scope, so as not to risk saturation losing its coherence and potency if its conceptualization and uses are stretched too widely.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Saunders & Julius Sim & Tom Kingstone & Shula Baker & Jackie Waterfield & Bernadette Bartlam & Heather Burroughs & Clare Jinks, 2018. "Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 1893-1907, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:52:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s11135-017-0574-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Damschroder, Laura J. & Pritts, Joy L. & Neblo, Michael A. & Kalarickal, Rosemarie J. & Creswell, John W. & Hayward, Rodney A., 2007. "Patients, privacy and trust: Patients' willingness to allow researchers to access their medical records," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 223-235, January.
    2. Max van Manen & Isabel Higgins & Pamela van der Riet, 2016. "A conversation with Max van Manen on phenomenology in its original sense," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(1), pages 4-7, March.
    3. Poletti, Tim & Balabanova, Dina & Ghazaryan, Olga & Kocharyan, Hasmik & Hakobyan, Margarita & Arakelyan, Karen & Normand, Charles, 2007. "The desirability and feasibility of scaling up community health insurance in low-income settings--Lessons from Armenia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 509-520, February.
    4. Jassim, Ghufran A. & Whitford, David L., 2014. "Understanding the experiences and quality of life issues of Bahraini women with breast cancer," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 189-195.
    5. Aiken, Abigail R.A. & Dillaway, Chloe & Mevs-Korff, Natasha, 2015. "A blessing I can't afford: Factors underlying the paradox of happiness about unintended pregnancy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 149-155.
    6. Hawkins, Robert Leibson & Abrams, Courtney, 2007. "Disappearing acts: The social networks of formerly homeless individuals with co-occurring disorders," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(10), pages 2031-2042, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stevens, Lindsay M., 2018. "“We have to be mythbusters”: Clinician attitudes about the legitimacy of patient concerns and dissatisfaction with contraception," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 145-152.
    2. BONAN Jacopo & DAGNELIE Olivier & LEMAY-BOUCHER Philippe & TENIKUE Michel, 2012. "Is it all about Money? A Randomized Evaluations of the Impact of Insurance Literacy and Marketing Treatments on the Demand for Health Microinsurance in Senegal," LISER Working Paper Series 2012-03, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    3. Annette Peart & Virginia Lewis & Chris Barton & Grant Russell, 2020. "Healthcare professionals providing care coordination to people living with multimorbidity: An interpretative phenomenological analysis," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(13-14), pages 2317-2328, July.
    4. Jennifer Searle & Lisa Goldberg & Megan Aston & Sylvia Burrow, 2017. "Accessing new understandings of trauma‐informed care with queer birthing women in a rural context," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(21-22), pages 3576-3587, November.
    5. Haya Salem & Suhad Daher-Nashif, 2020. "Psychosocial Aspects of Female Breast Cancer in the Middle East and North Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-16, September.
    6. Flore, Jacinthe & Kokanović, Renata & Broom, Alex & Heynemann, Sarah & Lai-Kwon, Julia & Jefford, Michael, 2023. "Entanglements and imagined futures: The subject(s) of precision in oncology," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    7. Elizabeth Golembiewski & Dennis P. Watson & Lisa Robison & John W. Coberg II, 2017. "Social Network Decay as Potential Recovery from Homelessness: A Mixed Methods Study in Housing First Programming," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-16, August.
    8. Daniel Schneider & Orestes Hastings, 2015. "Socioeconomic Variation in the Effect of Economic Conditions on Marriage and Nonmarital Fertility in the United States: Evidence From the Great Recession," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(6), pages 1893-1915, December.
    9. Jonas, Adam B. & Young, April M. & Oser, Carrie B. & Leukefeld, Carl G. & Havens, Jennifer R., 2012. "OxyContin® as currency: OxyContin® use and increased social capital among rural Appalachian drug users," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(10), pages 1602-1609.
    10. Weili Gao & Virginia Plummer & Lisa McKenna, 2020. "Using metaphor method to interpret and understand meanings of international operating room nurses' experiences in organ procurement surgery," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(23-24), pages 4604-4613, December.
    11. Michela Chessa & Patrick Loiseau, 2017. "Enhancing Voluntary Contribution in a Public Goods Economy via a Minimum Individual Contribution Level," GREDEG Working Papers 2017-24, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France, revised Feb 2023.
    12. Ahmed, Shakil & Annear, Peter Leslie & Phonvisay, Bouaphat & Phommavong, Chansaly & Cruz, Valeria de Oliveira & Hammerich, Asmus & Jacobs, Bart, 2013. "Institutional design and organizational practice for universal coverage in lesser-developed countries: Challenges facing the Lao PDR," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 250-257.
    13. Manee Arpanantikul, 2018. "Women's perspectives on home‐based care for family members with chronic illness: An Interpretive phenomenology study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(4), pages 494-501, December.
    14. Benjamin Cornwell, 2015. "Social Disadvantage and Network Turnover," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(1), pages 132-142.
    15. Ying Zhang & Rui Wang & Xinyi Yao, 2019. "Assessing determinants of health care prepayment in China: Economic growth or government willingness? New evidence from the continuous wavelet analysis," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 694-712, January.
    16. Barbara Straaten & Gerda Rodenburg & Jorien Laan & Sandra N. Boersma & Judith R. L. M. Wolf & Dike Mheen, 2018. "Changes in Social Exclusion Indicators and Psychological Distress Among Homeless People Over a 2.5-Year Period," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 135(1), pages 291-311, January.
    17. Cowan, Sarah K., 2017. "Enacted abortion stigma in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 259-268.
    18. Linda Irvine Fitzpatrick & Donald Maciver & Kirsty Forsyth, 2021. "Incite to Practice: Development of a Realist-Informed Program Theory to Support Implementation of Intersectoral Partnerships," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, August.
    19. Cherif, Emna & Bezaz, Nora & Mzoughi, Manel, 2021. "Do personal health concerns and trust in healthcare providers mitigate privacy concerns? Effects on patients’ intention to share personal health data on electronic health records," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    20. Aleksandar Radic & Rob Law & Michael Lück & Haesang Kang & Antonio Ariza-Montes & Juan M. Arjona-Fuentes & Heesup Han, 2020. "Apocalypse Now or Overreaction to Coronavirus: The Global Cruise Tourism Industry Crisis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:52:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s11135-017-0574-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.