Sampling design is critical to the quality of quantitative research, yet it does not always receive appropriate attention in nursing research. The current article details how balancing probability techniques with practical considerations produced a representative sample of Australian nursing homes (NHs). Budgetary, logistical, and statistical constraints were managed by excluding some NHs (e.g., those too difficult to access) from the sampling frame; a stratified, random sampling methodology yielded a final sample of 53 NHs from a population of 2,774. In testing the adequacy of representation of the study population, chi-square tests for goodness of fit generated nonsignificant results for distribution by distance from major city and type of organization. A significant result for state/territory was expected and easily corrected for by the application of weights. The current article provides recommendations for conducting high-quality, probability-based samples and stresses the importance of testing the representativeness of achieved samples.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Health Sciences
Research Group:	Health services and systems
Research Field:	Aged health care
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Specific population health (excl. Indigenous health)
Objective Field:	Health related to ageing
UTAS Author:	Robinson, AL (Professor Andrew Robinson)
ID Code:	113446
Year Published:	2016
Web of Science® Times Cited:	5
Deposited By:	Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre
Deposited On:	2017-01-03
Last Modified:	2018-03-29
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