Snowball sample (non-probability sampling)

A snowball sample is a non-probability sampling technique that is appropriate to use in research

when the members of a population are difficult to locate. A snowball sample is one in which the
researcher collects data on the few members of the target population he or she can locate, then
asks those individuals to provide information needed to locate other members of that population
whom they know.

Snowball sampling is hardly likely to lead a representative sample, but there are times when it
may be the best or only method available.

For instance, if you are studying the homeless, you are not likely to find a list of all the homeless
people in your city. However, if you identify one or two homeless individuals that are willing to
participate in your study, it is likely that they know other homeless individuals in their area and
can help you locate them. The same goes for underground subcultures, or any population that
might want to keep their identity hidden, such as undocumented immigrants or ex-convicts.

Because snowball sampling is hardly representative of the larger study population, it is primarily
used for exploratory purposes. That is, the researcher is “feeling out” a topic or population to
study further in-depth at a later time. Exploratory studies are typically done for three purposes: to
satisfy the researcher’s curiosity and desire for better understanding, to test the feasibility of
undertaking a more extensive study, and to develop the methods to be employed in any
subsequent studies.

Examples

If a researcher wishes to interview undocumented immigrants from Mexico, he or she might

interview a few undocumented individuals that he or she knows or can locate and would then
rely on those subjects to help locate more undocumented individuals.

This process continues until the researcher has all the interviews he or she needs or until all
contacts have been exhausted.