I begin this section by outlining the context of the research and I explain the rationales and steps involved in designing and implementing the data collection process. Sample methods, recruitment strategies, ethical procedures and considerations, and the interview processes are included.
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The context of the research
This research was conducted in Tasmania, Australia. The sample includes social workers and social work clients from across the state. Social work practitioners from a wide range of fields of practice and social work clients were invited to participate in the study. An advantage of conducting the research in this community included easy access to social workers and relatively short travel distances. I acknowledge that while recruitment from further afield (nationally) may have produced different results, it would have exceeded the financial and time limits of this research.
Sampling
The sample comprised 15 social workers and 15 social work clients throughout Tasmania. The sample size was sufficient to support an in-depth analysis. As argued by Liamputtong and Ezzy (2005, p. 49), the number of participants in qualitative analysis is less important than the richness of the data. A common expectation of qualitative research is that ‘saturation’ of the data is achieved. Saumure and Given (2008, p. 195) define data saturation as, ‘the point in data collection when no new or relevant information emerges with respect to the newly constructed theory’. Green and Thorogood (2009, p. 120) argue that achieving saturation of all properties and dimensions is a potentially limitless task. This was particularly the case researching a topic such as ‘care’, where there are numerous ways of understanding the concept and how it is enacted. It was not realistic to relentlessly ‘test’ the theory of my research given the limits of time and resources associated with this study.
When deciding on sample methods I was mindful of the need to consider theoretical sampling to build theory from the data. The gradual recruitment of participants, as well as the concurrent nature of data collection and data analysis in my research, allowed me to address these issues as the study progressed. I continually asked myself questions, as suggested by Birks and Mills (2011, p. 69), such as: What is obvious? What seems to be absent? Is there something more obscure going on that has not been fully recognised? I employed different sampling methods for social
67 workers and social work clients. Below I first explain the sampling methods used for social workers, followed by the sampling methods used for social work clients.
Social workers
Social workers for this research were recruited through purposive and snowballing sampling strategies (Patton 1990). Purposive sampling was chosen as I wished to purposively target social workers from a wide range of practice fields. As stated by Liamputtong and Ezzy (2005) ‘purposive sampling aims to select information-rich cases for in-depth study to examine meanings, interpretations, processes, and theory’. I did not initially plan to use snowball sampling, which involves
respondents passing on information about the research to other potential respondents (Liamputtong & Ezzy 2005), however this evolved naturally when two social
workers contacted me after speaking with existing participants.
Social workers were required to meet the following criteria in order to participate. Practitioners needed to:
be aged 18 years or over;
have at least 12 months experience as a qualified social worker; and be eligible for membership of the AASW.
As this research explored care in social work practice, it was crucial that participants were qualified social workers. I was aware that some counsellors and community welfare workers align themselves with social work when in fact they do not have a university degree in social work. While I acknowledged that many of these people have a wide range of experience and are highly competent in their work, for the purpose of the validity of this study, having an accredited social work degree was essential for participation.
Social work clients
Purposive sampling was the primary sampling strategy for clients. Clients who met the following criteria were invited to participate in this research. They:
68 had experienced a social work interaction with a qualified social worker
during the past 12 months; and could speak English.
I did my best to ensure that clients had seen a qualified social worker. I was aware that some people may have mistakenly believed that the counsellor or case-worker they had seen was a social worker. Not all counsellors, welfare workers or case- workers are social workers. In order to mitigate this issue I requested that potential participants check with their agency if they were at all unsure of the qualification of the person they had worked with. If the person was specifically in a social work role or if documents included the letters BSW (Bachelor of Social Work) or AASW (Australian Association of Social Work) next to the person’s name, then the client could confidently assume that the person was a qualified social worker. I could have asked clients the names of social workers they had worked with, which would have enabled me to check their qualifications. However, this raised an ethical dilemma for me. I did not feel comfortable with the identities of social workers being revealed without their knowledge, particularly as I was hearing the subjective experiences of the clients. Additionally, I was aware that clients may not have been willing to be as open and honest about their experiences if the social workers were named, in spite of reassurances that information would remain confidential. I therefore chose to trust the judgment of participants. I was aware that there was a possibility that clients may have still incorrectly identified their counsellors as qualified social workers and that this remains a limitation of the study.
I did not seek information about whether the clients had seen social workers in a voluntary or involuntary capacity. I did not want client participants to feel obliged to reveal any information about the specific context or issue that led to their involvement with a social worker if they did not feel comfortable sharing this with me. This was explained to clients in the Information Sheet for Social Work Clients (Appendix 7). It mostly became evident, however as to whether clients had a choice about working with a social worker, and I was able to use this information when interpreting the findings of the study.
69 My rationale for requesting that participants had seen a social worker during the previous 12 month period was to ensure that their experiences were relatively fresh in their minds and therefore easier to recall. While I did not wish to exclude anyone from this study based on their ability to converse in English, the reality was that the allocated funds for this project did not cover costs for interpreters.