Sampling Technique

In terms of research, sampling makes for a crucial part of the methodology.
It is the
selection of a subset of the population from a larger group with shared characteristics.
At some point in your journey of academic career, you may have to conduct primary
research, getting you to take the opinion of a target population in the process of
investigating a research question. If you haven't yet cut your teeth on research, you may
have your head surrounded with many "hows", "whens", and "wheres". But, don't worry,
today you're in the right place.
Sampling Methods And Size Suitable For Qualitative

Research
Due to its open-ended nature, a qualitative study is always going to be more time-
consuming than its counterpart. With this in view, these two research methods are
generally preferable while dealing with qualitative research:
Purposive Sampling
It involves choosing the participants based on demographic and other characteristics,

such as preferences, taste, income level, etc. in line with the nature and objectives of the
study. Unlike random sampling, in purposive one, the researcher actively engages in
laying out the criteria for the informants. Only the respondents reasonably satisfying
these criteria are invited to partake.
Now the question arises why purposive sampling for qualitative research? As mentioned,
such studies have no restriction in terms of time or space to the respondents' input. The
participants may adjust the spillways of information to any point. Given this, it is
essential for the respondents to be filled with the desired knowledge or be equipped
with the relevant skill-sets. A random selection can barely serve this purpose which
makes purposeful sampling a perfect fit for this endeavor.
Convenience Sampling
A researcher applies convenience sampling if they target the respondents who are easily
available. The logic behind using this type of sampling for qualitative research is simple.
As told, qualitative research takes a comparatively greater amount of time. So, the
researchers, when faced with time-constraints, may have to make smart choices. It
makes sense to rely on people who are on hand rather than moving proposals with a
number of respondents with the least assurance of their interest.
Sample Size for Qualitative Research

Since you are consciously engaged in selecting the participants using non-probability
methods, it is undesirable to chase a sizable number. What makes a small size more
suitable is the amount of time that the researcher has to spend with each participant. A
few respondents, handpicked for the study, can serve the purpose because they are sure
to have adequate knowledge around the concerned area of research. In most cases, 10-
12 participants may cut it for the panel discussion. For an interview, the researchers may
rely on 5-10 experts. However, as a thumb-rule, the greater, the better.
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Sampling Methods And Size Suitable For Quantitative

Research
Quantitative research design ensures the quicker process of data collection. Mostly, the
survey respondents or the participants of a questionnaire have to respond to close-
ended questions. All they have to do is mark their choice, either on Likert or any other
scale or order of questions, and submit. In such types of studies, independent and
dependent variables are well defined and the researcher seeks exact measures. This
understanding leads to the following choices:
Random Sampling
For sure, the generalization of data is possible only if the results represent the entire
target population. In qualitative research, it is attainable through purposive sampling as
the respondents can go on to any length. However, in quantitative research, responses
are measured in numbers. The greater the number of responses, the more
representative those numbers would be.
This can be understood with a simple example. Let's say a town houses 1000 residents
and the researcher has to conduct a poll to assess the support of residents for the
democratic vs liberal party. Let's say, he selects 50 individuals based on shared
characteristics (high educational level and high-income level). Would their responses be
generalizable? A big "no", because they represent only the higher income group of their
population and not the entire population. A better way to go about it is to randomly
pick a decent number of participants. It will come with the probability that the targeted
subset of the population is diverse enough to represent the town's population as a
whole.
With this being clear that random sampling is a better choice when it comes to
quantitative research, let's have a quick look at its key types:
1. Simple random sampling: It is when you choose participants from a large

population without regard to any characteristics.
2. Cluster sampling: It involves dividing the entire sampling frame into small
clusters and then randomly picking the clusters. You can pick as many clusters as
desired depending on the needs and budget.
3. Stratified sampling: It is one of the most widely used methods which involves
dividing a population into subsets with shared characteristics (e.g. high-income
group, low-income group). Then, you can randomly pick the participants from
those subsets. This type of sampling is suited for projects that involve assessing
the interaction between participants' responses to a certain phenomenon and
given characteristics.
4. Systematic sampling: If your research calls for insights on what every second,
third, or Kth person says about something, systematic sampling is going to be the
top choice. You obtain the "Kth" number by dividing the total population (N) by
the number of participants in the subset of the population (n).
For example, you have to conduct a survey on the customer's opinion about the quality
of food in a fast-food restaurant. Let's say the restaurant serves 100 customers on
average every single day and you think responses from 20 customers would be highly
representative. Here, your population size is "100" and sample size "20". Let's apply the
formula:
N/n=Kth; 100/20=5(th)
Hence, you can randomly approach each 5th customer pouring out of the restaurant.
Acceptable Margin for Error

During the statistical analysis of information gathered from a sample, what you may
have to worry about is 'error'. Howsoever precautions you may be and whatsoever
techniques you may apply, the margin for error is always there. All you can do is
minimize that margin to an acceptable range.
Acceptable margin may vary with the type and objectives of the research. Having said
that, there is considerable consensus over 4%-8% being the permissible range when the
confidence interval is set at 95% (say if a poll or survey is repeated 95 percent of times,
the findings will not deviate more than 4% to 8%).
If the range of error exceeds that margin, it will put the reliability and transferability of
your research to question.
How to Calculate Margin for Error
In general, you can apply the following formula to assess the margin for error in
research:
Margin for Error = z-score (constant value derieved from the confidence interval) x
standard deviation/underroot "n" (sample population size)
For example, your research is focused on a sample of 100 participants with a standard
deviation of 0.5 at a confidence interval of 95%. Suppose, the z-score is 1.9. The margin
of error will be as under:
Margin for Error = 1.9 x 0.5/10 = 0.095
How to Reduce the Chance of Errors

To continuously restrict the chances of errors to an acceptable range, you should make
sure:
 The sample size is large enough to be representative of the target population for
a particular research question;
 You keep your personal bias suspended while interacting with the population;
 The results are accurately calculated and presented;
 You are well aware of your population's characteristics.
Criteria for Choosing Respondents?

Here's what to make sure while fishing around for respondents:
 Participants are knowledgeable: Make sure the participants have enough grasp of
the subject or case of the study at hand;
 Participants are available in the given time: Your respondents must respond
within a given time-frame. Schedule interviews and questionnaires keeping the
budget constraints in view. If a prospective respondent may not be able to show
up within a given time, you may drop them and go for a more suitable one.

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In terms of research, sampling makes for a crucial part of the methodology.

Sampling Methods And Size Suitable For Qualitative

It involves choosing the participants based on demographic and other characteristics,

Sample Size for Qualitative Research

Need Help With Research Paper?

Sampling Methods And Size Suitable For Quantitative

1. Simple random sampling: It is when you choose participants from a large

Acceptable Margin for Error

How to Calculate Margin for Error

Margin for Error = 1.9 x 0.5/10 = 0.095

How to Reduce the Chance of Errors

Criteria for Choosing Respondents?

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