SAMPLING

Why use sample?

1. Costs less than a census of the equivalent
population
2. To answer questions about the whole
population

What you can learn from sample that can be

applied to whole population

3. Offer greater scope than census

Possible to study the population of a larger area

To find out more about same population by
asking greater variety of questions
To study the same area in greater depth

Advantages

cost
speed
accuracy
convenient

Stages in survey and sample

design

State the objectives of the survey

Define the target population

Important to ensure useable results

E.g all male students registered as full-time in
UiTM Malaysia

Define the data to be collected

E.g study on the effect of forest clearance on

breeding process a particular animal

How male/female ratio affected

Is breeding period changed

 Define the required precision and

accuracy
We can estimate the likely accuracy

Define the measurement instrument

i.e. the method e.g interview, observation,
questionnaire, by which the data is
collected

 Establish the sample frame

Sample frame: list of people that make up
the target population

determine sample size

Sample selected from the frame by
specifying the sample size

determine sampling method

Sampling method: the process by which we
choose the members of the sample

The sample frame

Why sample frame is wrong

1. Contains too many individuals

Frames membership has been under-defined

Frame contains target population plus others who
should not be included

Contains too few individuals

Frames membership has been over-defined

Frame contains target population minus some others

1. Contains the wrong set of individuals

Frames membership is ill-defined

Frame does not necessarily contain just the target
population

Creating a sample frame

2 stages:
1. Divide the target population into sampling
units
E.g households, trees, water samples, cities

2. Create a finite list of sampling units that

make up the target population
E.g names, addresses or identity numbers, or
water sample 50mm sample bottles each
containing a water sample

Sampling methods
Aim
To obtain a sample that is representative of
the target population

Categories:
non-probability sampling
probabibility sampling

Non-probability sampling
procedures in which the units that make
up the sample are collected with no
specific probability structure
E.g.
units are self-selected (volunteers)
units are the most easily accessible
units are selected on economic grounds
(payment for participation)
units are chosen without no obvious design

... non-probability sampling

methods depend on:
unreliable factors
unquantifiable factors

regarded as 'inferior' to probability

methods
no statistical basis
use as 'last resort/ when sample cannot
be generated by probability methods

Non-probability sampling techniques

Purposive sampling
Quota sampling
Convenience sampling
Snowball sampling
Self-selection

Purposive sampling
Participants selected subjectively
Researcher pick a sample he believes
is representative to the population of
interest
Respondents selected using judgment
of interviewers

Snowball sampling
Used when trying to interview hard to
reach groups e.g unemployed people
First, contact a few potential residents
Next, interview them and ask if they
know anybody else with same
characteristics you are looking for

Convenience sampling
the most convenient population is
chosen, which may be the researchers
work colleagues, friends, students from a
nearby college
used to save time and resources
procedure
select people most conveniently available to
interviewers e.g ask shoppers, or passersby to participate in a product taste

Quota sampling
interviews, mail surveys and telephone surveys
are often used in conjunctioned with quota
sampling
based on defining the distribution of
characteristics required in the sample
e.g if sample requires 50 men and 50
women, a quota sample will be selected until
the right number of each type has been
surveyed
can be extended to cover several
characteristics (males <50 years old;
females with children)

Self-selection
Self-explanatory respondents
themselves decide whether to take part
in the survey or not

Probability sampling
basis: selection of sampling units to
make up the sample based on defining
the chance that each unit in the sample
frame will be included
concerned with the probability of each
sample being chosen
each sampling unit has the same chance
of being included as every other
sampling unit

Probability sampling techniques

simple random sampling
stratified sampling

systematic sampling

cluster sampling

multi-stage sampling

Simple random sampling

simplest way
select n units (from a population of size N) every
one of Ncn possible samples has an equal chance
of being chosen
e.g using dice (toto/lottery), random number tables

how method can be applied

example: sample from a list of
employees (population size is 16) using
identification numbers as sample frame,
and we want to select sample size of 6

simple random
select units by random sampling from
frame
use random number tables, or
use short computer program to generate
6 random numbers between 1 16

TABLE OF RANDOM SAMPLING NUMBERS

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

10480

15011

01536

02011

81647

91646

69179

14194

62590

36207

20969

99570

91291

90700

22368

46573

25595

85393

30995

89198

27982

53402

93965

34095

52666

19174

39615

99505

24130

48360

22527

97265

76393

64809

15179

24830

49340

32081

30680

19655

63348

58629

42167

93093

06243

61680

07856

16376

39440

53537

71341

57004

00849

74917

97758

16379

37570

39975

81837

16656

06121

91782

60468

81305

49684

60672

14110

06927

01263

54613

77921

06907

11008

42751

27756

53498

18602

70659

90655

15053

21916

81825

44394

42880

99562

72905

56420

69994

98872

31016

71194

18738

44013

48840

63213

21069

10634

12952

96301

91977

05463

07972

18876

20922

94595

56869

69014

60045

18425

84903

42508

32307

89579

14342

63661

10281

74553

18103

57740

84378

25331

12566

58678

44947

05585

56941

10

85475

36857

53342

53988

53060

59533

38867

62300

08158

17983

16439

11458

18593

64952

Col./Lin
e

Stratified sampling
apply when: target population consists of
a series of separate 'sub-population',
each may have different values for the
properties we are studying
process of splitting - stratification
total population (N) divide into a set of L
(mutually exclusive sub-populations
N=(N1+N2+...+NL)

within each stratum we select a sample

(n1, n2...nL)

Systematic sampling
simpler to design and administer
decide on sample size n from population size
N
choose starting point by selecting rth unit from 1
end of sequence, r is less than k, and is
chosen randomly
take the rest of the sample by adding k to r,
where k is an integer number to equal to N/n
do this repeatedly until we reach end of
sequence

 sample frame as a 'row' of units

sample as a sequence of equal-spaced
'stops' along the row
1

Cluster sampling
Population of interest is divided into
representative clusters of individuals
Sample selected randomly from
clusters
Conducted when it is impossible or
impractical to draw from other types of
sampling

Multi-stage sampling

We combine the simple methods

described earlier in a variety of useful
ways that help us address our sampling
needs in the most efficient and effective
manner possible.

SAMPLE SIZE ESTIMATION

if done correctly, correct estimation of
sample size is a significant statistical
exercise
basis:
there is a minimum sample size required for
a given population to provide estimates with
an acceptable level of precision

if correctly done, using an effective

sample size, the sample will be
representative and estimates it generates
will be useful

formula
assume population mean Y is to be
etimated from sample mean y by a
simple random sample of n0 units. If n0 is
much smaller than N, n0 is given by:
n0 = [tS/d]2
http://www.raosoft.com/s
amplesize.html

sampling terms
population - finite (or infinite) set of
'objects' whose properties are to be
studied in a survey
target population the population whose
properties are estimated via a sample;
usually the same as the 'total' population
sample a subset of the target
population chose so as to be
representative of that population

 sampling unit
a member of the sample frame
a member of the sample

probability sample
any method of selecting a sample such that
each sampling unit has a specific probability
of being chosen

non-probability
a method in which sample units are collected
with no sample specific probability structure