SAMPLING

Research process
Define research
problem

Critical review of
literature

Formulating
hypothesis

Research design
& sampling

Data collection

Data analysis

Hypothesis testing

Interpret & report

The Concept
Sampling
A process of selecting a few (a sample) from a bigger
group (the sampling population) to become the basis
for estimating or predicting the prevalence of an
unknown piece of information, situation or outcome
regarding the bigger group.
Sample
A subgroup of the population we are interested in.
Pros & Cons

 Advantage − Saves time as well as

financial and human resources.
 Disadvantage − Information about the
population’s characteristics of interest
to the researcher is not
found/determined. Instead, it is
estimated or predicted.
Sampling Terminology
 Population or Study Population (N)
• All the item in any field of inquiry. (Universe)
 Sample
• Keeping cost and time considerations in mind we select only few of the
items from whole population under study and generalize the result for all
population.
 Sample Size (n)
• No. of items to be selected from the universe to constitute a sample.
 Sampling Design or Strategy
• A definite plan for obtaining a sample from a given population.
 Sampling Unit or Sampling Element
• It may be geographical one such as a state, district, village etc. depending
on the objective of study.
 Sampling Frame
• Contains names of all the items of a universe (finite).
Sampling Design or Strategy

Determine the type of universe

Decide about the sampling unit

Obtain sampling frame

Determine the size of the sample

Select the sampling technique

Execute sampling process

Step 1: Determine the type of
Universe
 Universe: set of all the items included the
inquiry.
• The universe can be finite or infinite
 Finite : number of items included in the
universe is finite. Eg. nos. of workers in an
organization.
 Infinite : number of items included in the
universe is infinite. Eg. No. of stars in the
universe
Step 2: Decide about the
sampling unit
 Sampling unit:
a segregation, from universe, has to be done
on the basis of which sampling is conducted.
 It can be done geographically, demographically,
socially etc.
Step 3: Obtain sampling frame
 A list containing all the sampling units i.e. the
elementary units or group of units which may
form the basis of sampling process.

 The frame is either constructed by the

researcher for the purpose of study or with
the help of some already existing list of the
population. For Ex: Using telephone directory
for opinion survey.
Step 4:Determine the size of the
sample
 Size of the sample: no. of items to be
selected from the universe to constitute a
sample.
 It should neither be too large nor be too
small.
 It depends upon lots of things like budgetary
constrains, human resource available,
objective of study etc.
 Step 5: Select the sampling
technique
Sampling Techniques

Nonprobability Probability
Sampling Techniques Sampling Techniques

Convenience Judgmental Quota Snowball

Sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling

Simple Random Systematic Stratified Cluster Other Sampling

Sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling Techniques
Non-Probability
Sampling Techniques
 When the number of elements in a
population is either unknown or cannot be
individually identified.
 Selection of elements is dependent upon
other considerations.
 Also known as Deliberate sampling
 Four types: convenience sampling,
judgmental sampling, quota sampling, snow
ball sampling .
Convenience Sampling
 Attempts to obtain a sample of convenient
elements. Often, respondents are selected
because they happen to be in the right place at
the right time.

• use of students, and members of social

organizations
• mall intercept interviews without qualifying the
respondents
• department stores using charge account lists
• “people on the street” interviews
Judgmental Sampling
 a form of convenience sampling in which
the population elements are selected
based on the judgment of the
researcher.
• test markets
• purchase engineers selected in industrial
marketing research
• bellwether precincts selected in voting
behavior research
• expert witnesses used in court
Quota Sampling
 Interviewers are simply given quotas to
be filled from the different strata, with
some restrictions on how they are to be
filled.
 Actual selection of the items for the
sample is left to the interviewer's
discretion.
Snowball Sampling
 an initial group of respondents is
selected, usually at random.
• After being interviewed, these
respondents are asked to identify
others who belong to the target
population of interest.
• Subsequent respondents are selected
based on the referrals.
Probability Sampling Techniques
 Also known as random sampling or chance
sampling.
 Each element in the population has a known
and equal probability of selection.
 Each possible sample of a given size (n) has a
known and equal probability of being the
sample actually selected.
 This implies that every element is selected
independently of every other element.
 It is of four types simple random, systematic
sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling.
Simple Random
 Every element has an equal chance of
selection.
 Sampling is done by Lottery system.
Systematic Sampling
 The sample is chosen by selecting a random starting
point and then picking every ith element in succession
from the sampling frame.
 The sampling interval, i, is determined by dividing the
population size N by the sample size n and rounding to
the nearest integer.
 Eg: we have a population of 15,000 and we have
decided to take a sample of 200 then 15000/200=75
would be the value of i. All the nos. would be written on
a slip and placed n a table accordingly. Then starting
from the first every 75th element will be taken as a
sample in the research.
Stratified Sampling
 It is done only in the non-homogeneous type of population.
 It is a two-step process
 First step:
step the population is partitioned into subpopulations,
or strata that are individually homogeneous than the total
population.
• The strata should be mutually exclusive and collectively
exhaustive in that every population element should be assigned
to one and only one stratum and no population elements should
be omitted.
 Second step: elements are selected from each stratum by
a random procedure using simple random sampling.
 This whole procedure is said to be stratified random
sampling.
Contd..
 The elements within a stratum should be as
homogeneous as possible, but the elements in
different strata should be as heterogeneous as
possible.
 The stratification variables should also be closely
related to the characteristic of interest.
 A major objective of stratified sampling is to
increase precision without increasing cost.
Random Sampling Designs
Types of Stratified Sampling:
1. Proportionate Sampling- Here the
number of selected elements from each
stratum are in relation to its proportion in
the total population.
2. Disproportionate Sampling- No
consideration is given to the size of the
stratum.
Random Sampling Designs
 Cluster Sampling- Used when the total
population is large say a town or a state or an
entire country.
 Here the sampling population is first divided into
groups called clusters and then we select at
random clusters of individual items to make up the
over all samples.
 If all the units of the selected clusters are included
in the sample, it is called single stage-cluster
sampling. If not then it is called as multi stage-
cluster sampling.
 Technique Strengths
Nonprobability Sampling Least expensive, least
time-consuming, most
Convenience sampling convenient
Low cost, convenient,
Judgmental sampling
not time-consuming
Quota sampling Sample can be controlled
for certain characteristics
Snowball sampling Can estimate rare
characteristics
Probability sampling
Easily understood,
Simple random sampling results projectable
(SRS)
Systematic sampling Can increase
representativeness,
easier to implement than
SRS, sampling frame not
necessary
Stratified sampling Include all important
subpopulations,
precision
Cluster sampling Easy to implement, cost
effective
Weaknesses
Selection bias, sample not
representative, not recommended for
descriptive or causal research
Does not allow generalization,
subjective
Selection bias, no assurance of
representativeness
Time-consuming
Difficult to construct sampling
frame, expensive, lower precision,
no assurance of representativeness.
Can decrease representativeness
Difficult to select relevant
stratification variables, not feasible to
stratify on many variables, expensive
Imprecise, difficult to compute and
interpret results
Step 6: Execute sampling
process
 After selecting the sampling technique
execute it with the help of
enumerators and interviewers.