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Appendix 2: Calculating The Minimum Sample Size

This document provides guidance on calculating minimum sample sizes for research. It explains that the minimum sample size depends on the desired level of confidence, margin of error, and expected proportion of responses with the attribute of interest. It provides a formula for calculating the minimum sample size using these factors. For populations under 10,000, an adjusted minimum sample size formula is also provided to account for the entire population being sampled. Worked examples are given to demonstrate how to apply the formulas.

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Tesfaye Belaye
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51 views2 pages

Appendix 2: Calculating The Minimum Sample Size

This document provides guidance on calculating minimum sample sizes for research. It explains that the minimum sample size depends on the desired level of confidence, margin of error, and expected proportion of responses with the attribute of interest. It provides a formula for calculating the minimum sample size using these factors. For populations under 10,000, an adjusted minimum sample size formula is also provided to account for the entire population being sampled. Worked examples are given to demonstrate how to apply the formulas.

Uploaded by

Tesfaye Belaye
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Z03_SAUN6860_05_SE_APP2.

QXD

12/2/09

3:54 pm

Page 581

Appendix 2 Calculating the minimum


sample size
In some situations, such as experimental research, it is necessary for you to calculate the precise minimum sample size you require. This calculation assumes that data will be collected
from all cases in the sample and is based on:

how confident you need to be that the estimate is accurate (the level of confidence in the
estimate);

how accurate the estimate needs to be (the margin of error that can be tolerated);
the proportion of responses you expect to have some particular attribute.
Provided that you know the level of confidence and the margin of error, it is relatively easy
to estimate the proportion of responses you expect to have a particular attribute. To do this, ideally you need to collect a pilot sample of about 30 observations and from this to infer the likely
proportion for your main survey. It is therefore important that the pilot sample uses the same
methods as your main survey. Alternatively, you might have undertaken a very similar survey
and so already have a reasonable idea of the likely proportion. If you do not, then you need
either to make an informed guess or to assume that 50 per cent of the sample will have the
specified attribute the worst scenario. Most surveys will involve collecting data on more than
one attribute. It is argued by deVaus (2002) that for such multi-purpose surveys you should
determine the sample size on the basis of those variables in the sample that are likely to have
the greatest variability.
Once you have all the information you substitute it into the formula,
n = r% * q% * c

z 2
d
e%

where
n is the minimum sample size required
p% is the proportion belonging to the specified category
q% is the proportion not belonging to the specified category
z is the z value corresponding to the level of confidence required (see Table A2.1)
e%is the margin of error required.
Table A2.1 Levels of confidence and associated z values
Level of confidence

z value

90% certain

1.65

95% certain

1.96

99% certain

2.57

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Appendix

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Page 582

Box A2.1
Focus on student
research
Calculating the minimum
sample size
To answer a research question Jon needed to estimate
the proportion of a total population of 4000 home
care clients who receive a visit from their home care
assistant at least once a week. Based on his reading of
the research methods literature he decided that he
needed to be 95 per cent certain that his estimate
was accurate (the level of confidence in the estimate);
this corresponded to a z score of 1.96 (Table A2.1).
Based on his reading he also decided that his estimate needed to be accurate to within plus or minus
5 per cent of the true percentage (the margin of error
that can be tolerated).
In order to calculate the minimum sample size, Jon
still needed to estimate the proportion of respondents
who received a visit from their home care assistant at
least once a week. From his pilot survey he discovered
that 12 out of the 30 clients receive a visit at least
once a week in other words, that 40 per cent
belonged to this specified category. This meant that
60 per cent did not.

Jon substituted these figures into the formula:


n = 40 * 60 * a

1.96 2
b
5

= 2400 * (0.392)2
= 2400 * 0.154
= 369.6
His minimum sample size, therefore, was 370
returns.
As the total population of home care clients was
4000, Jon could now calculate the adjusted minimum
sample size:
369.6
n =
369.6
1 + a
b
4000
369.6
=
1 + 0.092
369.6
=
1.092
= 338.46
Because of the small total population, Jon needed
a minimum sample size of only 339. However, this
assumed he had a response rate of 100 per cent

Where your population is less than 10 000, a smaller sample size can be used without
affecting the accuracy. This is called the adjusted minimum sample size (Box A2.1). It is
calculated using the following formula:
n
n =
n
1 + a b
N
where
n is the adjusted minimum sample size
n is the minimum sample size (as calculated above)
N is the total population.

Reference
deVaus, D.A. (2002) Surveys in Social Research (5th edn). London: Routledge.

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