The concept of saturation in qualitative data collection simply refers to the situation where a researcher keeps finding the same data even after continuing to collect more and more data. Saturation occurs when qualitative data collection does not yield new findings or keeps repeating data that was already found during previous data collection (Patton, 2002). Saturation takes place when the researcher realizes that no new data, categories or descriptive codes are emerging from data analysis. In any research, it reaches a point where studies do not yield any new information. This is because different participants can have the same opinions on a given matter. The answers that they give, therefore, are considered repetitive and redundant (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011).
A good example of a qualitative study in which the author explains the concept of saturation is Mark Mason’s “Sample size and saturation in PhD. Studies using qualitative interviews.” According to the author, in qualitative research, the sample size can be affected by many factors. However, the concept of saturation should be used as the guiding principle. In the study, the author sampled various PhD studies that used qualitative approaches and interviews as a method of collecting data. The author was able to explain the concept of saturation by stating that the majority sample size of a qualitative study is determined by saturation. The author claims that a small study with few claims might achieve faster saturation compared to a study that aims at describing a vast process or topic like drug abuse. Such topics are highly likely to generate vast ideas and opinions, thus, achieving saturation may take longer (Mason, 2010).
References
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). The SAGE Handbook of qualitative research (4th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Mason, M. (2010). Sample Size and Saturation in PhD Studies Using Qualitative Interviews. Qualitative Social Research, 11(3). Retrieved from http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1428/3027
