Tools of the Trade:

PROBABILITY SAMPLING
We are going to discuss four different types of probability samples: simple random, systematic,
stratified, and cluster or area sampling.
Simple random samples are defined as those for which (a) the probabilities of selection are equal
for all elements, and (b) sampling is done in one stage with elements of the sample selected
independently of one another in contrast to more complex samples where the selection is done in
two or more stages and where clusters rather than individual elements are chosen.
Suppose you wanted to interview a random sample of the players who participated in a recent
baseball game. You have a list of the players for the two teams.
STAT-TEAM
1. Nancy
8. Emma
2. Dolores
9. Jerry
3. Darlene
10. Tracey
4. Ron
11. Bob
5. Ethel
12. Charlotte
6. Wendy
13. Alden
7. Linda A.
14. Martha

UNDERDOGS
15. Bertha
22. Diane
16. Donna
23. Dawn
17. Ray
24. Debbie
18. Linda B.
25. Trish
19. Arminta
26. Jackie
20. Concetta
27. Joe
21. Laura
28. Voni

First, assign a number to each player on the list as already done above. Next, decide how many
players you intend to interview. Let's say you want to choose six players for your sample.
Using a table of random numbers, an example of which is at the end of this report (Note: Most
statistics textbooks include tables of random numbers. Tables can also be self-generated through
the use of computer software.), you are going to need six two-digit numbers ranging from 01 to
28. Add a zero in front of the single-digit numbers to make it possible to choose systematically.
Then you may begin anywhere in the table and can proceed in any direction, noting down two
digits at a time as you come to them, until you have six such pairs. Let us begin with the last-two
digits in the second column from the left at the top of the table and proceed down the column.
The first six numbers we come to that fall between 01 and 28 will be the numbers of the players
to be interviewed. The numbers randomly selected are 11, 07, 05, 16, 28, 01. Now, refer to the
list of players to see who is in the sample.
STAT-TEAM UNDERDOGS
1. Nancy
16. Donna
5. Ethel
28. Voni
7. Linda A.
11. Bob
You now have a simple random sample of players from the game. However, you may feel your
sample is lopsided. You have a genuine random sample, but you have more players from one
team than the other. The population consists of two teams equal in size, having fourteen players
1

each. If you decide that you want the teams to be equally represented in your sample, you can
arrange it by randomly sampling from each team separately, using a technique called stratified
random sampling.
To generate a stratified random sample, begin by renumbering the Underdogs from 1 to 14. Then
go again to the table of random numbers and select three numbers for each team, using the same
method as before. Now, however, you must eliminate any number over fourteen. If you begin in
the same place as before, you get 11, 07, and 05 for the Stat-Team, or Bob, Linda A. and Ethel.
Continuing to select numbers gives you 01, 13, and 11 for the Underdogs, or Bertha, Joe and
Trish. Note that if a number previously selected for the Stat-Team also comes up for the
Underdogs, that would be acceptable; the groups are being sampled separately, and duplication
of a number does not mean an individual will be interviewed twice.
Another way to sample from a list is called systematic sampling. It consists of selecting at
predetermined intervals. In our baseball teams example number the names as before from 1 to
28. Next, decide on the sample size, also as before. For this example, let's use seven as a sample
size. Continuing with the example, you would, therefore, want seven names out of 28 or every
fourth name. However, you cannot arbitrarily begin with the first player and take 1, 5, 9, 13, 17,
21, 25; that would give you a biased, rather than a random, sample.
To eliminate bias, use any method of random selection, randomly choosing a number from 1 to 4
(since you are choosing every fourth name) and beginning with that number. The table of
random numbers can be easily used for this purpose. Let's say the number randomly selected as
our starting point is three. This gives you 3, 7 (3+4), 11 (7+4), 15 (11+4), and so forth. Your
systematic sample consists of Darlene, Linda A., Bob, Bertha, Arminta, Dawn and Joe.
When the population to be sampled is too large for simple random sampling because the process
would be time consuming and expensive, then cluster or area sampling is a way to sample
randomly in progressively smaller populations.
Suppose you need a random sample of general hospitals in the United States. If you simply list
all general hospitals and select a sample using one of the techniques we have discussed, you
would find yourself with a cumbersome sample, especially if you intend to visit each general
hospital in your sample. To gather a cluster or area sample, first list all states and territories in
the United States, and then select a random sample, as we have done above. Let's assume you
have randomly chosen five states: Colorado, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania and Oregon. You
have now completed the first stage of your multistage or cluster sampling.
Next, list the general hospitals in each of the five states chosen in the first stage. Again you select
a random sample of general hospitals from each of the states. This sample would contain your
ultimate subjects.
Whatever sampling technique you choose make certain that all variations in your chosen
population have a chance to be represented in the sample. If you can succeed in this, you will
avoid bias and will be able to generalize from the sample to the population. In practice, often the
techniques described above are combined in a complex sampling design. Again, we recommend
you consult someone very familiar with sampling techniques to assist you in obtaining a truly
representative sample and also in determining your sample size.
2

RANDOM NUMBER TABLE

11

12

13

14

1 10480

15011

01536

02011

81647

91646

69179

14194

62590

36207

20969

99570

91291

90700

2 22368

46573

25595

85393

30995

89198

27982

53402

93965

34095

52666

19174

39615

99505

3 24130

48390

22527

97265

76393

64809

15179

24830

49340

32081

30680

19655

63348

58629

4 42167

93093

06243

61680

07856

16376

39440

53537

71341

57004

00849

74917

97758

16379

5 37570

39975

81837

16656

06121

91782

60468

81305

49684

60072

14110

06927

01263

54613

6 77921

06907

11008

42751

27756

53498

18602

70659

90655

15053

21916

81825

44394

42880

7 99562

72905

56420

69994

98872

31016

71194

18738

44013

48840

63213

21069

10634

12952

8 96301

91977

05463

07972

18876

20922

94595

56869

69014

60045

18425

84903

42508

32307

9 89579

14342

63661

10281

17453

18103

57740

84378

25331

12568

58678

44947

05585

56941

10 85475

36857

53342

53988

53060

59533

38867

62300

08158

17983

16439

11458

18593

64952

11 28918

69578

88231

33276

70997

79936

56865

05859

90106

31595

01547

85590

91610

78188

12 63553

40961

48235

03427

49626

69445

18663

72695

52180

20847

12234

90511

33703

90322

13 09429

93969

52636

92737

88974

33488

36320

17617

30015

08272

84115

27156

30613

74952

14 10365

61129

87529

85689

48237

52267

67689

93394

01511

26358

85104

20285

29975

89868

15 07119

97336

71048

08178

77233

13916

47564

81056

97735

85977

29372

74461

28551

90707

16 51085

12765

51821

51259

77452

16308

60756

92144

49442

53900

70960

63990

75601

40719

17 02368

21382

52404

60268

89368

19885

55322

44819

01188

65255

64835

44919

05944

55157

18 01011

54092

33362

94904

31273

04146

18594

29852

71685

85030

51132

01915

92747

64951

19 52162

53916

46369

58586

23216

14513

83149

98736

23495

64350

94738

17752

35156

35749

20 07056

97628

33787

09998

42698

06691

76988

13602

51851

46104

88916

19509

25625

58104

21 48663

91245

85828

14346

09172

30163

90229

04734

59193

22178

30421

61666

99904

32812

22 54164

58492

22421

74103

47070

25306

76468

26384

58151

06646

21524

15227

96909

44592

23 32639

32363

05597

24200

13363

38005

94342

28728

35806

06912

17012

64161

18296

22851

24 29334

27001

87637

87308

58731

00256

45834

15398

46557

41135

10307

07684

36188

18510

25 02488

33062

28834

07351

19731

92420

60952

61280

50001

67658

32586

86679

50720

94953

26 81525

72295

04839

96423

24878

82651

66566

14778

76797

14780

13300

87074

79666

95725

27 29676

20591

68086

26432

46901

20849

89768

81536

86645

12659

92259

57102

80428

25280

28 00742

57392

39064

66432

84673

40027

32832

61362

98947

96067

64760

64584

96096

98253

29 05366

04213

25669

26422

44407

44048

37937

63904

45766

66134

75470

66520

34693

90449

30 91921

26418

64117

94305

26766

25940

39972

22209

71500

64568

91402

42416

07844

69618

31 00582

04711

87917

77341

42206

35126

74087

99547

81817

42607

43808

76655

62028

76630

32 00725

69884

62797

56170

86324

88072

76222

36086

84637

93161

76038

65855

77919

88006

33 69011

65795

95876

55293

18988

27354

26575

08625

40801

59920

29841

80150

12777

48501

34 25976

57948

29888

88604

67917

48708

18912

82271

65424

69774

33611

54262

85963

03547

35 09763

83473

73577

12908

30883

18317

28290

35797

05998

41688

34952

37888

38917

88050

36 91567

42595

27958

30134

04024

86385

29880

99730

55536

84855

29088

09250

79656

73211

37 17955

56349

90999

49127

20044

59931

06115

20542

18059

02008

73708

83517

36103

42791

38 46503

18584

18845

49618

02304

51038

20655

58727

28168

15475

56942

53389

20562

87338

39 92157

89634

94824

78171

84610

82834

09922

25417

44137

48413

25555

21246

35509

20468

40 14577

62765

35605

81263

39667

47358

56873

56307

61607

49518

89656

20103

77490

18062

41 98427

07523

33362

64270

01638

92477

66969

98420

04880

45585

46565

04102

46880

45709

42 34914

63976

88720

82765

34476

17032

87589

40836

32427

70002

70663

88863

77775

69348

43 70060

28277

39475

46473

23219

53416

94970

25832

69975

94884

19661

72828

00102

66794

44 53976

54914

06990

67245

68350

82948

11398

42878

80287

88267

47363

46634

06541

97809

45 76072

29515

40980

07391

58745

25774

22987

80059

39911

96189

41151

14222

60697

59583

46 90725

52210

83974

29992

65831

38857

50490

83765

55657

14361

31720

57375

56228

41546

47 64364

67412

33339

31926

14883

24413

59744

92351

97473

89286

35931

04110

23726

51900

48 08962

00358

31662

25388

61642

34072

81249

35648

56891

69352

48373

45578

78547

81788

49 95012

68379

93526

70765

10592

04542

76463

54328

02349

17247

28865

14777

62730

92277

50 15664

10493

20492

38301

91132

21999

59516

81652

27195

48223

46751

22923

32261

85653