SAMPLING

METHODS
SAMPLING METHODS
 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.
POPULATION VS. SAMPLE
 The population is the entire group
that you want to draw conclusions
about.
 The population can be defined in
terms of geographical location, age,
income, and many other
characteristics.

 The sample is the specific group of

individuals that you will collect data
from.
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).
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. There are different sample size calculators and
formulas depending on what you want to achieve with statistical analysis.
PROBABI •Probability sampling means that every
LITY member of the population has a chance of
being selected. It is mainly used in
SAMPLIN quantitative research. If you want to
G produce results that are representative of
the whole population, probability sampling
METHOD techniques are the most valid choice.
S
SIMPLE RANDOM SAMPLING

•In a simple random sample, every

member of the population has an
equal chance of being selected. Your
sampling frame should include the
whole population.
•To conduct this type of sampling,
you can use techniques that are
based entirely on chance.
SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING
•Systematic sampling is similar to
simple random sampling, but it is
usually slightly easier to conduct.
Every member of the population is
listed with a number, but instead of
randomly generating numbers,
individuals are chosen at regular
intervals.
STRATIFIED SAMPLING
•Stratified sampling involves dividing the
population into subpopulations that may differ in
important ways. It allows you draw more precise
conclusions by ensuring that every subgroup is
properly represented in the sample.
•To use this sampling method, you divide the
population into subgroups (called strata) based
on the relevant characteristic (e.g. gender, age
range, income bracket, job role).
•Based on the overall proportions of the
population, you calculate how many people
should be sampled from each subgroup. Then
you use random or systematic sampling to select
a sample from each subgroup.
CLUSTER SAMPLING
•Cluster sampling also involves
dividing the population into
subgroups, but each subgroup
should have similar characteristics to
the whole sample. Instead of
sampling individuals from each
subgroup, you randomly select entire
subgroups.
MULTI-STAGE SAMPLING

• Samples are drawn from a population

using smaller and smaller groups at
each stage

•This method is often used to

collect data from a large,
geographically spread group of people
in national surveys, for example. You
take advantage of hierarchical
groupings (e.g., from state to city to
neighborhood) to create a sample
that’s less expensive and time-
consuming to collect data from.
 •In a non-probability sample, individuals are
selected based on non-random criteria, and not
NON- every individual has a chance of being included.
•Non-probability sampling techniques are often
PROBABI used in exploratory and qualitative research. In
LITY these types of research, the aim is not to test a
hypothesis about a broad population, but to
SAMPLIN develop an initial understanding of a small or
under-researched population.
G •It has a higher risk of sampling bias, meaning,
the inferences you can make about the
METHOD population are weaker than with probability
S samples, and your conclusions may be more
limited.
CONVENIENCE SAMPLING

•A convenience sample 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, so
it can’t produce generalizable
results.
PURPOSIVE SAMPLING
•Purposive 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.
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.
QUOTA SAMPLING

• the researcher decides the selection

of sampling based on some quota. In
quota sampling, the researcher makes
sure that the final sample must meet
his quota criteria.
• “The sample obtained from a quota
sampling method contains similar
proportions of observations as the
whole population with some known
traits or characteristics. In quota
sampling, the researcher selects from
his/her judgement or some fixed quota
 • Qualitative inquiry typically focuses in
depth on relatively small samples, even
PURPOSE single cases (n=1), selected purposefully
FUL • The logic and power of purposeful
SAMPLIN sampling lies in selecting information rich
cases for study in depth, information rich
G FOR cases are those from which one can
QUALITATI learn a great deal about issues of central
importance
VE
RESEARC
H
=
TYPE OF PURPOSEFUL SAMPLING PURPOSE
EXTREME OR DEVIANT SAMPLING Leaning from highly unusual manifestations of the
phenomenon of interest such as outstanding
success/ notable failures, top of the class/
dropouts, exotic events, crises
INTENSITY SAMPLING Information rich cases that manifests the
phenomenon intensely but not extremely , such
as good students/ poor students, above average/
below average
MAXIMUM VARIATION SAMPLING Documents unique or diverse variations that have
PURPOSEFULLY PICKING A WIDE RANGE OF emerged in adapting to different conditions.
VARIATION ON DIMENSIONS OF INTEREST Identifies important common patterns that cut
across variations.
HOMOGENOUS SAMPLING Focuses, reduces variation, simplifies analysis,
facilitates group interviewing
TYPE OF PURPOSEFUL SAMPLING PURPOSE
TYPICAL CASE SAMPLING Illustrates or highlights what is typical, normal,
average
STRATEFIED PURPOSEFUL SAMPLING Illustrates characteristics of particular sub-groups
of interest, facilitates comparison
CRITICAL CASE SAMPLING Permits logical generalizations and maximum
application of information to other cases because
if it’s true of this one case, it’s likely to be true of
other cases
SNOWBALL OR CHAIN SAMPLING Identifies cases of interest from people who know
people who know what cases are information rich,
that is, good examples for study, good interview
subjects
CRITERION SAMPLING Picking all cases that meet some criterion, such as
all children abused in a treatment center facility.
Quality assurance
TYPE OF PURPOSEFUL SAMPLING PURPOSE
THEORY-BASED OR OPERATIONAL CONSTRUCT Finding manifestations of theoretical construct of
SAMPLING interest so as to elaborate and examine the
construct
CONFIRMING OR DISCONFIRMING CASES Elaborating and deepening initial analysis, seeking
exceptions, testing variation
OPPORTUNISTIC SAMPLING Following new leads during fieldwork, taking
advantage of the unexpected , flexibility
RANDOM PURPOSEFUL SAMPLING Adds credibility to sample when potential
(still small sample size) purposeful sample is larger that one can handle.
Reduces judgement within a purposeful category .
(Not or generalization or representativeness).
SAMPLING POLITICALLY IMPORTANT CASES Attracts attention to the study (or avoids
attracting undesired attention by purposefully
eliminating politically sensitive cases).
TYPE OF PURPOSEFUL SAMPLING PURPOSE
CONVENIENCE SAMPLING Saves time, money and effort. Poorest rationale,
lowest credibility. Yields information poor cases.
COMBINATION OR MIXED PURPOSEFUL Triangulation, flexibility, meets multiple interests and
SAMPLING needs.
REFERENCES

• Patton, M. Purposeful Sampling.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275921658_Purposeful_Sa
mpling_in_Qualitative_Research_Synthesis
https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/sampling-methods/