Best Practices for Sampling, Saturation, and Storytelling in Interview-Based Research: Findings From Business Communication Research

Abstract

We reviewed 440 interview-based articles in the top business communication articles since 2000. We evaluated the sampling and storytelling in these articles. Those articles that are most cited in the 5 years following publication tend to sample managers in for-profit organizations more often and include more storytelling of interview participants. Savvy researchers are able to report perspective stories and plot stories of interview participants in concise and compelling ways. Yet, qualitative researchers could report more plot stories, especially success stories. Guidelines are provided for qualitative researchers to engage in storytelling in ways that do not sacrifice rigor.