The Research Lab: Sampling Strategies to Improve Your Study

This session of our Research Lab series focuses on developing effective sampling strategies for research studies. Join us as Drs. Vail and Wright share their experiences from their recently published study on PA students’ perceptions of academic advising. They will discuss how they successfully expanded their research to include diverse student populations from PA programs across the United States, enhancing the study’s generalizability and impact.  

The presenters will draw from their published work to provide practical insights into research methodology: 
Vail M, Liu S, Spaulding K, Wright K, Warner, M. Physician Assistant Students’ Perceptions of Academic Advising, J Physician Assist Educ, 2025 Sept 24. doi: 10.1097/JPA.0000000000000712 

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:  

• Understand the importance of study generalizability in research design 
• Identify effective strategies for expanding participant recruitment across diverse institutional settings 
• Apply practical approaches to increase geographic and programmatic diversity in research samples 
• Recognize how to overcome common challenges in multi-institutional research studies  

Presenters:  

• Marianne Vail, PhD, PA-C, Associate Director & Assistant Professor, Department of PA Studies, The George Washington University 
• Karen Wright, PhD, PA-C, Assistant Professor, Department of PA Studies, The George Washington University