Drawing upon histories of family and parenting that have employed qualitative interview methods, this article considers several approaches to participant selection and sampling. Across a range of research projects from the United Kingdom and Australia, the article analyses whole of population samples, tightly defined samples, generational samples within families and participant selection based upon geographic case studies. In so doing, the advantages and limitations of these varying participant selection strategies are explored. Ultimately, the article argues that, although often relegated to appendices, footnotes or introductory asides, methodological decisions are critically important to oral history research for they fundamentally shape the scope, progress and conclusions of historical research.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	oral history, qualitative research, interview, selection and sampling, methodology, Australia, United Kingdom, family history, parenting, motherhood
Research Division:	History, Heritage and Archaeology
Research Group:	Historical studies
Research Field:	Australian history
Objective Division:	Culture and Society
Objective Group:	Understanding past societies
Objective Field:	Understanding Australia's past
UTAS Author:	Pascoe Leahy, C (Dr Carla Pascoe Leahy)
ID Code:	148737
Year Published:	2019
Deposited By:	History and Classics
Deposited On:	2022-02-04
Last Modified:	2022-03-03
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