Nonprobability Sampling

SAMPLING METHOD
SAMPLING METHOD
•To draw valid conclusions from your
results, you have to carefully decide how
you will select a sample that is
representative of the group as a whole.
This is called a sampling method.
There are two primary types of sampling
methods that you can use in your research:
•Probability sampling involves random selection,
allowing you to make strong statistical
inferences about the whole group.
•Non-probability sampling involves non-random
selection based on convenience or other
criteria, allowing you to easily collect data.
Understand the difference between a
population and a sample, and identify the
target population of your research.
• The population is the entire group that
you want to draw conclusions about.
• The sample is the specific group of
individuals that you will collect data
from.
• The population can be defined in terms
of geographical location, age, income, or
many other characteristics.
Sampling frame
• The sampling frame is the actual list of individuals that the
sample will be drawn from. Ideally, it should include the
entire target population (and nobody who is not part of
that population).
• Example: Sampling frame. You are doing research on
working conditions at a social media marketing company.
Your population is all 1000 employees of the company.
Your sampling frame is the company’s HR database, which
lists the names and contact details of every employee.
Sample size
•The number of individuals you should
include in your sample depends on
various factors, including the size
and variability of the population and
your research design.
Non-probability sampling methods
• In a non-probability sample, individuals are selected based on non-random
criteria, and not every individual has a chance of being included.
• This type of sample is easier and cheaper to access, but it has a higher risk
of sampling bias. That means the inferences you can make about the
population are weaker than with probability samples, and your conclusions
may be more limited. If you use a non-probability sample, you should still aim
to make it as representative of the population as possible.
• Non-probability sampling techniques are often used
in exploratory and qualitative research. In these types of research, the aim is
not to test a hypothesis about a broad population, but to develop an initial
understanding of a small or under-researched population.
1. Convenience sampling
• A convenience sample simply includes the individuals
who happen to be most accessible to the researcher.
• This is an easy and inexpensive way to gather initial data,
but there is no way to tell if the sample is representative
of the population.
• Produce generalizable results. Convenience samples are
at risk for both sampling bias and selection bias.
•Example: Convenience samplingYou are
researching opinions about student support
services in your university, so after each of your
classes, you ask your fellow students to complete
a survey on the topic. This is a convenient way to
gather data, but as you only surveyed students
taking the same classes as you at the same level,
the sample is not representative of all the
students at your university.
2. Voluntary response sampling
• Similar to a convenience sample, a voluntary response
sample is mainly based on ease of access. Instead of
the researcher choosing participants and directly
contacting them, people volunteer themselves (e.g. by
responding to a public online survey).
• Voluntary response samples are always at least
somewhat biased, as some people will inherently be
more likely to volunteer than others, leading to self-
selection bias.
•Example: Voluntary response sampling. 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.
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.
• It is often used in qualitative research, where the researcher
wants to gain detailed knowledge about a specific
phenomenon rather than make statistical inferences, or where
the population is very small and specific. An effective purposive
sample must have clear criteria and rationale for inclusion.
Always make sure to describe your inclusion and exclusion
criteria and beware of observer bias affecting your arguments.
•Example: Purposive sampling. 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.
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.
•Example: Snowball sampling. You are
researching experiences of homelessness in
your city. Since there is no list of all homeless
people in the city, probability sampling isn’t
possible. You meet one person who agrees to
participate in the research, and she puts you
in contact with other homeless people that
she knows in the area.
5. Quota sampling
• Quota sampling relies on the non-random selection of
a predetermined number or proportion of units. This
is called a quota.
• You first divide the population into mutually exclusive
subgroups (called strata) and then recruit sample units
until you reach your quota. These units share specific
characteristics, determined by you prior to forming
your strata. The aim of quota sampling is to control
what or who makes up your sample.
• 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. continue
recruiting until you reach the quota of 200 participants
for each subgroup.

Nonprobability Sampling

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SAMPLING METHOD

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