Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 36 Snowball Sampling Technique In the snowball sampling technique, individuals involved in the research identify other prospective research subjects. The term describes the way that the sample grows—like a rolling snowball. This sampling technique is used when it is difficult for the researcher to access additional people to be interviewed. The lack of accessibility could have a number of reasons. Regardless, it is important to recognize the limitation of this sampling approach: the built-in biases of the initial group of people recommending people they know. On the other hand, the snowball sampling research method has two benefits. Not only does it reveal how the interview participants perceive their neighborhood but it also enables the researcher to observe their experiences in the neighborhood firsthand. Here are a few observations and insights that Dr. Saxton-Ross gained by using this method for the Marvin Gaye Park project. • When asked to describe a “perfect community,” half the respondents referenced recreation spaces—places for people to interact and congregate. • All but one respondent felt that one of the benefits of outdoor recreation activity was for exercise or physical activity. Four indicated that fresh air was a benefit of outdoor recreation, and three cited the calming aspects of nature. • Consistently the respondents indicated that an aspect related to safety (such as crime, drug use, or violence) was the key factor limiting their use of Marvin Gaye Park. Closing Comments About Participatory Action Research As a method of generating information, participatory action research certainly reflects a belief in the value of what people have to say That makes it a natural approach for parks and recreation because of the field’s strong connection with people PAR approaches make sense for any process or project that truly has as its underlying outcome the revitalization or rejuvenation of a neighborhood or community Two reminders about using PAR: • It can be used at the start of a process to identify topics that need to be examined further • After more traditional methods have identified recurring issues, PAR can narrow down the specifics of the issues It is, of course, always important to remember that the responses are personal in nature and should not be used to make generalizations about all the people living in the neighborhood or community Well Worth the Effort The approach and array of activities cited in this section vary according to the investment of time and resources However, we can cite three reasons that investing in grassroots insight methods makes sense • It saves time over the course of the project • It results in a park renovation or development that best matches the needs of a neighborhood or community • It engages residents in a meaningful way that will have carry-over value for sustainability If a park project requires voter approval to secure funding, often the statistically valid survey method is used But when the focus of the project is the revitalization of a specific neighborhood, extensive sampling is not needed and likely will not be particularly useful
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