Sampling Techniques
Sampling Techniques
techniques
POPULATION SAMPLE
You want to select a simple random sample of 1000 employees of a social media
marketing company. You assign a number to every employee in the company
database from 1 to 1000, and use a random number generator to select 100
numbers.
probability sampling
2. Systematic sampling
Systematic sampling is similar to simple random sampling, but it is
usually slightly easier to conduct. Every member of the population is
listed with a number, but instead of randomly generating numbers,
individuals are chosen at regular intervals.
All employees of the company are listed in alphabetical order. From the first 10
numbers, you randomly select a starting point: number 6. From number 6 onwards,
every 10th person on the list is selected (6, 16, 26, 36, and so on), and you end up
with a sample of 100 people.
probability sampling
3. Stratified sampling
Stratified sampling involves dividing the population into subpopulations
that may differ in important ways. It allows you draw more precise
conclusions by ensuring that every subgroup is properly represented in
the sample.
To use this sampling method, you divide the population into subgroups
(called strata) based on the relevant characteristic (e.g., gender
identity, age range, income bracket, job role).
probability sampling
3. Stratified sampling
Example: Stratified sampling
The company has 800 female employees and 200 male employees. You
want to ensure that the sample reflects the gender balance of the company,
so you sort the population into two strata based on gender. Then you use
random sampling on each group, selecting 80 women and 20 men, which
gives you a representative sample of 100 people.
probability sampling
4. Cluster sampling
Cluster sampling also involves dividing the population into subgroups,
but each subgroup should have similar characteristics to the whole
sample. Instead of sampling individuals from each subgroup, you
randomly select entire subgroups.
This method is good for dealing with large and dispersed populations,
but there is more risk of error in the sample, as there could be
substantial differences between clusters. It’s difficult to guarantee that
the sampled clusters are really representative of the whole population.
probability sampling
4. Cluster sampling
This method is good for dealing with large and dispersed populations,
but there is more risk of error in the sample, as there could be
substantial differences between clusters. It’s difficult to guarantee that
the sampled clusters are really representative of the whole
population.
Example: Cluster sampling
The company has offices in 10 cities across the country (all with roughly
the same number of employees in similar roles). You don’t have the
capacity to travel to every office to collect your data, so you use random
sampling to select 3 offices – these are your clusters.
SAMPLING METHODS
1. Convenience sampling
A convenience sample simply includes the individuals who happen to
be most accessible to the researcher.
You send out the survey to all students at your university and a lot of students decide
to complete it. This can certainly give you some insight into the topic, but the people
who responded are more likely to be those who have strong opinions about the student
support services, so you can’t be sure that their opinions are representative of all
students.
Non-probability sampling
3. Purposive sampling
This type of sampling, also known as judgement sampling, involves the
researcher using their expertise to select a sample that is most useful to
the purposes of the research..
You want to know more about the opinions and experiences of disabled
students at your university, so you purposefully select a number of students
with different support needs in order to gather a varied range of data on their
experiences with student services.
Non-probability sampling
4. Snowball sampling
If the population is hard to access, snowball sampling can be used to
recruit participants via other participants. The number of people you
have access to “snowballs” as you get in contact with more people.
The downside here is also representativeness, as you have no way of
knowing how representative your sample is due to the reliance on
participants recruiting others. This can lead to sampling bias.
Non-probability sampling
4. Snowball sampling
Example: Snowball sampling
5. Quota sampling
Quota sampling relies on the non-random selection of a
predetermined number or proportion of units. This is called a quota.
5. Quota sampling
Example: Quota sampling
You want to gauge consumer interest in a new produce delivery service in Boston,
focused on dietary preferences. You divide the population into meat eaters,
vegetarians, and vegans, drawing a sample of 1000 people. Since the company
wants to cater to all consumers, you set a quota of 200 people for each dietary
group. In this way, all dietary preferences are equally represented in your
research, and you can easily compare these groups.You continue recruiting until
you reach the quota of 200 participants for each subgroup.
Conclusion
Each sampling technique has its advantages and
limitations, and the choice of method depends on the
research question, resources, and constraints of the
study. It's essential to understand the characteristics of
each technique and select the most appropriate one to
obtain valid and reliable results.
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