Sampling
Sampling
13
Samplin
g
Dr Tasneem faiez alrabee
Learning Objectives:
• The reason for using a sample involving several hundred and even thousands of
elements is that it would be practically impossible to collect data from, test, or
examine every element. Time and cost consuming and human resources. In
some cases, it would also be impossible to use the entire population to gain
knowledge about, or test something. Consider, for instance, the case of electric
light bulbs, if we were to burn every single bulb produced there would be none
left to sell! This is known as destructive sampling.
• Population: refers of the entire group of people, events, or things of interest
that the researcher wishes to investigates. Based on sample statistics.
• Element: is a single member of the population.
• Sample: subset of the population, it comprises some members selected from it.
Some but not all, elements of the population from the sample. Subset of the
population.
• Sampling unit: is the element or set of elements that is available for selection
in some stage of the sampling process.
• Subject: is a single member of the sample.
• Why sample ?
• 1. pragmatic reasons, reduce the cost, high speed of data collection, reduces
labor requirements, accessibility, impossible to contact all people.
• 2. Accurate and reliable results when the sample is representative.
• 3. Destructive of test all the units, such as a products.
• The need to sample:
• 1. It’s Cost-effective: This process is both cost and time effective, and a larger
sample can also be chosen based on numbers assigned to the samples and then
choosing random numbers from the more significant sample.
• Convenience Sampling
• Judgement Sampling
• Quota Sampling
• Snowball Sampling
• Convenience Sampling: refers to the procedure of obtaining units or people
who are most conveniently available to provide it. Best use in exploratory
research to get some basic information quickly and efficiently, and when
additional research will be conducted. Haphazard sampling from the available or
most convenient to obtain for your sample.
• Judgement Sampling: designed when limited number or category of people
have the information that is sought, and the sample based upon some
appropriate characteristic of the sample members. Used when working with very
small samples such as in case study research.
• Snowball Sampling: initial respondent are selected by probability methods and
then the second respondents' group are obtained from information provided by
initial respondents. Volunteer sampling, it is used commonly when it is difficult
to identify members of the desired population.
• 1. Make contact with one or two cases in the population
• 2. Ask the cases to identify further cases
• Quota Sampling: ensure that certain groups are adequately represented in the
study through the assignment of a quota. A quota fixed for each subgroup is
based on the total numbers of each group in the population. Quota sampling can
be considered a form of proportionate stratified sampling, in which a
predetermined proportion of people are sampled from different groups, but on a
convenience basis.
• Used for structured interviews as part of a survey. Quota sampling is therefore a
type of stratified sample in which the selection of cases within strata is entirely
non-random. To select a quota sample:
• 1. Divide the population into specific groups.
• 2. Calculate a quota for each group based on relevant and available data.
• 3. Give each interviewer an assignment, which states the number of cases in
each quota from which they must collect data.
• 4. Combine the data collected by interviewers to provide the full sample.
• Table 13.2 page 246 summarizes the probability and nonprobability
sampling designs discussed thus far, and their advantages and
disadvantages.
The Sampling Process: Sampling is the process of selecting a sufficient number
of the right elements from the population, so that a study of the sample and an
understanding of its properties or characteristics make it possible for us to
generalize such as properties or characteristics to the population elements.
1. Define the population
2. Determining the sample frame
3. Determining the sampling design
4. Determining the sample size
5. Executing the sampling process
• Defining the population: the target population must be defined in terms of
elements, geographical boundaries, and time.
• Determining the sample frame is a physical representation of all the elements
in the population from the sample is drawn, listing of each elements in the
population.
• Determining the sampling design: select the type of sampling.
• Determining the sample size: there are factors affecting decisions on a sample
size such as: the research objectives, the cost the time, the size of the
population, the confidence level.
• Executing the sampling process: implementation.
• Precision: the quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate, refers to
how close our estimate is to the true population characteristic.
• SX = S/√n
• S= standard deviation of the sample
• n = is the sample size
• SX= indicates the standard error or the extent of precision offered by the
sample.
• Precision is a function of the range of variability in the sampling distribution of
the sample mean. That is, if we take a number of different samples from a
population, and take the mean of each of these, we will usually find that they are
all different, are normally distributed, and have a dispersion associated with
them. The smaller this dispersion or variability, the greater the probability that
the sample mean will be closer to the population mean. If we want to reduce the
standard error, we need to increase the sample size.
• Another noteworthy point is that the smaller the variation in the population ,
the smaller error.
• Confidence: significant level as p<0.05 : A 95% confidence is the
conventionally accepted level for most business research , in other words, we
say that at least 95 times out of 100 our estimate will reflect the true population
characteristics.
• Determining the sample size: Table 13.3 provides that generalized
scientific guideline for sample size decisions.
• Rule of thumb
• 1. Sample size larger than 30 and less than 500 are appropriate for most
research.
• 2. Where samples are to be broken into subsamples ( males/females,
juniors/seniors, etc.) , a minimum sample size of 30 for each category is
necessary.
• Managerial Implications: Awareness of sampling design and sample size
decisions helps managers to understand why particular methods of sampling
are used by researchers. It facilitates understanding of the cost implications of
different designs, and trade-off between precision and confidence in relation to
the costs. It enable managers to understand the risk they take in implementing
changes based on the results of a research study. Finally, it helps managers to
assess the generalizability of the findings of a study.
Probability sampling Non-probability sampling
Used when the researcher wants to create This method does not help in representing the
accurate samples. population accurately.
Finding the correct audience is not simple. Finding an audience is very simple.