SAMPLING
Design and Procedure
11-1
Sampling – Some Terms
A population, or universe, is the aggregate of
all the elements defined prior to selection of
the sample.
A census involves a complete enumeration
(one by one list) of the elements of a
population.
A sample is a subgroup of the population
selected for participation in the study.
11-2
Sample Vs. Census
Conditions Favoring the Use of
Type of Study Sample Census
1. Budget Small Large
2. Time available Short Long
3. Population size Large Small
4. Variance in the characteristic Small Large
5. Cost of sampling errors Low High
6. Cost of nonsampling errors High Low
7. Nature of measurement Destructive Nondestructive
8. Attention to individual cases Yes No
11-3
The Sampling Design Process
Define the Population
Determine the Sampling Frame
Select Sampling Technique(s)
Determine the Sample Size
Execute the Sampling Process
11-4
Define the Target Population
The target population is the collection of elements or
objects that possess the information sought by the
researcher and about which inferences are to be made.
The target population should be defined in terms of
elements, sampling units, extent, and time.
An element is the object about which or from which the
information is desired, e.g., the respondent.
A sampling unit is an element, or a unit containing the
element, that is available for selection at some stage of the
sampling process.
Extent refers to the geographical boundaries.
Time is the time period under consideration.
11-5
Define the Target Population
Important qualitative factors in determining the
sample size are:
the importance of the decision
the nature of the research
the number of variables
the nature of the analysis
sample sizes used in similar studies
completion rates
resource constraints
11-6
Classification of Sampling Techniques
Sampling Techniques
Nonprobability Probability
Sampling Techniques Sampling Techniques
Convenience Judgmental Quota Snowball
Sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling
Simple Random Systematic Stratified Cluster Other Sampling
Sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling Techniques
11-7
NON-PROBABILITY
SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
11-8
Convenience Sampling
Convenience sampling attempts to obtain a
sample of convenient elements. Often, respondents
are selected because they happen to be in the right
place at the right time.
use of students
mall intercept interviews without qualifying the
respondents
“people on the street” interviews
11-9
Judgmental Sampling
Judgmental sampling is a form of convenience
sampling in which the population elements are
selected based on the judgment of the researcher.
e.g.
purchase engineers selected in industrial
marketing research
expert witnesses used in court
11-10
Quota Sampling
Quota sampling may be viewed as two-stage judgmental sampling.
The first stage consists of developing control categories, or
quotas, of population elements.
In the second stage, sample elements are selected based on
convenience or judgment.
Population Sample
composition composition
Control
Characteristic Percentage Percentage Number
Sex
Male 48 48 480
Female 52 52 520
____ ____ ____
100 100 1000
11-11
Snowball Sampling
In snowball sampling, an initial group of
respondents is selected, usually at random.
After being interviewed, these respondents are
asked to identify others who belong to the target
population of interest.
Subsequent respondents are selected based on
the referrals.
11-12
PROBABILITY SAMPLING
TECHNIQUES
11-13
Simple Random Sampling
Each element in the population has a known and
equal probability of selection.
Each possible sample of a given size (n) has a
known and equal probability of being the sample
actually selected.
This implies that every element is selected
independently of every other element.
11-14
A Graphical Illustration of
Simple Random Sampling
A B C D E
Select five random
1 6 11 16 21
numbers from 1 to
25. The resulting
sample consists of
2 7 12 17 22 population elements
3, 7, 9, 16, and 24.
Note, there is no
3 8 13 18 23 element from Group
C.
4 9 14 19 24
5 10 15 20 25
11-15
Systematic Sampling
The sample is chosen by selecting a random starting
point and then picking every ith element in
succession from the sampling frame.
The sampling interval, i, is determined by dividing the
population size N by the sample size n and rounding
to the nearest integer.
When the ordering of the elements is related to the
characteristic of interest, systematic sampling
increases the representativeness of the sample.
11-16
Systematic Sampling
For example, there are 100,000 elements in the
population and a sample of 1,000 is desired. In this
case the sampling interval, i, is 100. A random
number between 1 and 100 is selected. If, for
example, this number is 23, the sample consists of
elements 23, 123, 223, 323, 423, 523, and so on.
11-17
A Graphical Illustration of
Systematic Sampling
1 6 11 16 21
Select a random number
between 1 to 5, say 2.
2 7 12 17 22 The resulting sample
consists of population 2,
(2+5=) 7, (2+5x2=) 12,
3 8 13 18 23 (2+5x3=)17, and (2+5x4=)
22. Note, all the elements
are selected from a single
4 9 14 19 24 row.
5 10 15 20 25
11-18
Stratified Sampling
A two-step process in which the population is
partitioned into subpopulations, or strata.
The strata should be mutually exclusive and collectively
exhaustive in that every population element should be
assigned to one and only one stratum and no
population elements should be omitted.
Next, elements are selected from each stratum by a
random procedure, usually SRS.
A major objective of stratified sampling is to increase
precision without increasing cost.
11-19
Stratified Sampling
The elements within a stratum should be as
homogeneous as possible, but the elements in
different strata should be as heterogeneous as
possible.
The stratification variables should also be closely
related to the characteristic of interest.
Finally, the variables should decrease the cost of
the stratification process by being easy to measure
and apply.
11-20
A Graphical Illustration of
Stratified Sampling
A B C D E
Randomly select a
1 1 1 1 1 number from 1 to 5 for
each stratum, A to E.
2
The resulting sample
2 2 2 2
consists of population
elements 4, 2, 3, 4 and 1
3 3 3 3 3 respectively from strata
A, B, C, D & E. Note,
one element is selected
4 4 4 4 4 from each column.
5 5 5 5 5
11-21
Cluster Sampling
The target population is first divided into mutually
exclusive and collectively exhaustive subpopulations,
or clusters.
Then a random sample of clusters is selected, based
on a probability sampling technique such as SRS.
For each selected cluster, either all the elements are
included in the sample (one-stage) or a sample of
elements is drawn probabilistically (two-stage).
11-22
Cluster Sampling
Elements within a cluster should be as
heterogeneous as possible, but clusters themselves
should be as homogeneous as possible. Ideally,
each cluster should be a small-scale representation
of the population.
11-23
A Graphical Illustration of
Cluster Sampling (2-Stage)
A B C D E
Randomly select 3
clusters, B, D and E.
1 6 11 16 21 Within each cluster,
randomly select one
or two elements. The
2 7 12 17 22
resulting sample
consists of population
elements 7, 18, 20, 21,
3 8 13 18 23 and 23. Note, no
elements are selected
from clusters A and C.
4 9 14 19 24
5 10 15 20 25
11-24
Strengths and Weaknesses of
Basic Sampling Techniques
Technique Strengths Weaknesses
Nonprobability Sampling Least expensive, least Selection bias, sample not
Convenience sampling time-consuming, most representative, not recommended for
convenient descriptive or causal research
Judgmental sampling Low cost, convenient, Does not allow generalization,
not time-consuming subjective
Quota sampling Sample can be controlled Selection bias, no assurance of
for certain characteristics representativeness
Snowball sampling Can estimate rare Time-consuming
characteristics
Probability sampling Easily understood, Difficult to construct sampling
Simple random sampling results projectable frame, expensive, lower precision,
(SRS) no assurance of representativeness.
Systematic sampling Can increase Can decrease representativeness
representativeness,
easier to implement than
SRS, sampling frame not
necessary
Stratified sampling Include all important Difficult to select relevant
subpopulations, stratification variables, not feasible to
precision stratify on many variables, expensive
Cluster sampling Easy to implement, cost Imprecise, difficult to compute and
effective interpret results
11-25
Procedures for Drawing
Probability Samples
Simple Random
Sampling
1. Select a suitable sampling frame
2. Each element is assigned a number from 1 to N
(pop. size)
3. Generate n (sample size) different random numbers
between 1 and N
4. The numbers generated denote the elements that
should be included in the sample
11-26
Choosing Nonprobability Vs.
Probability Sampling
Conditions Favoring the Use of
Factors Nonprobability Probability
sampling sampling
Nature of research Exploratory Conclusive
Relative magnitude of sampling Nonsampling Sampling
and nonsampling errors errors are errors are
larger larger
Variability in the population Homogeneous Heterogeneou
(low) s (high)
Statistical considerations Unfavorable Favorable
Operational considerations Favorable Unfavorable
11-27
