Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Adm Policy Ment Health. 2015 Sep;42(5):533–544. doi: 10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y

Table 2.

Purposeful sampling strategies and mixed method designs in implementation research

Sampling strategy Structure Design Function
Single stage sampling (n = 22)
Criterion
(n = 18)		 Simultaneous (n = 17)
Sequential (n = 6)		 Merged (n = 9)
Connected (n = 9)
Embedded (n = 14)		 Convergence (n = 6)
Complementarity (n = 12)
Expansion (n = 10)
Development (n = 3)
Sampling (n = 4)
Maximum variation
(n = 4)		 Simultaneous (n = 3)
Sequential (n = 1)		 Merged (n = 1)
Connected (n = 1)
Embedded (n = 2)		 Convergence (n = 1)
Complementarity (n = 2)
Expansion (n = 1)
Development (n = 2)
Intensity
(n = 1)		 Simultaneous
Sequential		 Merged
Connected
Embedded		 Convergence
Complementarity
Expansion
Development
Typical case Study
(n = 1)		 Simultaneous Embedded Complementarity
Multistage sampling (n = 4)
Criterion/maximum
variation
(n = 2)		 Simultaneous
Sequential		 Embedded
Connected		 Complementarity
Development
Criterion/intensity
(n = 1)		 Simultaneous Embedded Convergence
Complementarity
Expansion
Criterion/snowball
(n = 1)		 Sequential Connected Convergence
Development