Sampling Techniques
Aggrey watulo
Outline
• The Nature of Sampling
• Probability Sampling Design
• Non-Probability Sampling Design
• Determination of Sample Size
Nature of Sampling
• Method or the technique consisting of
selection for the study of the so called part or
the portion or the sample, with a view to draw
conclusions or the solutions about the
universe or the population.
• A Sample is a smaller (but hopefully
representative) collection of units from a
population used to determine the truths
about the population (Field, 2005).
Sampling
STUDY POPULATION
SAMPLE
TARGET POPULATION
Population
• Population from which the sample is drawn may
not be the same. Often there is large but not
complete overlap between these two groups due
to frame issues etc .
• Sometimes they may be entirely separate - for
instance, we might study rats in order to get a
better understanding of human health, or we
might study records from people born in 2008 in
order to make predictions about people born in
2009. 5
Advantages of sampling
1. Very accurate.
2. Economical in nature.
3. Very reliable.
4. High suitability ratio towards the different
surveys.
5. Takes less time.
6. In cases, when the universe is very large, then
the sampling method is the only practical
method for collecting the data.
Disadvantages of sampling
• 1. Inadequacy of the samples.
2. Chances for bias.
3. Problems of accuracy.
4. Difficulty of getting the representative
sample.
5. Untrained manpower.
6. Absence of the informants.
7. Chances of committing the errors in
sampling.
Types of Sampling
• Probability (Random) Samples
• Simple random sample
– Systematic random sample
– Stratified random sample
– Multistage sample
– Cluster sample
• Non-Probability Samples
– Convenience sample
– Purposive sample
– Quota
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PROBABILITY SAMPLING
• A probability sampling scheme is one in which every unit in
the population has a chance (greater than zero) of being
selected in the sample, and this probability can be accurately
determined.
• Only way of unbiased estimation
• Precision of the survey indicators by calculating the sampling
errors
• When every element in the population does have the same
probability of selection, this is known as an 'equal probability
of selection' (EPS) design. Such designs are also referred to as
'self-weighting' because all sampled units are given the same
weight.
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PROBABILITY SAMPLING
• Probability sampling includes:
Simple Random Sampling,
Systematic Sampling,
Stratified Random Sampling,
Cluster Sampling
Multistage Sampling.
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Random Sampling
1. Random sampling
Selecting subjects so that all members of a population have an equal and
independent chance of being selected
Advantages
1. Easy to conduct
2. High probability of achieving a representative sample
3. Meets assumptions of many statistical procedures
Disadvantages
1. Identification of all members of the population can be difficult
2. Contacting all members of the sample can be difficult
Selecting Random Samples
• Random sampling (continued)
– Selection process
• Identify and define the population
• Determine the desired sample size
• List all members of the population
• Assign all members on the list a consecutive number
• Select an arbitrary starting point from a table of random
numbers and read the appropriate number of digits
Systematic Random Sampling
– Selecting every Kth subject from a list of the
members of the population
– Advantage
• Very easily done
– Disadvantages
• subgroups
• Some members of the population don’t have
an equal chance of being included
Systematic Random Sampling
– Selection process
• Identify and define the population
• Determine the desired sample size
• Obtain a list of the population
• Determine what K is equal to by dividing the
size of the population by the desired sample
size
• Start at some random place in the
population list
• Take every Kth individual on the list
Stratified Random Sampling
The population is divided into two or more
groups called strata, according to some criterion,
such as geographic location, grade level, age, or
income, and subsamples are randomly selected
from each strata.
Stratified random sampling (continued)
– Advantages
• More accurate sample
• Can be used for both proportional and non-proportional
samples
• Representation of subgroups in the sample
– Disadvantages
• Identification of all members of the population can be
difficult
• Identifying members of all subgroups can be difficult
Stratified random sampling (continued)
– Selection process
• Identify and define the population
• Determine the desired sample size
• Identify the variable and subgroups (i.e., strata) for
which you want to guarantee appropriate
representation
• Classify all members of the population as members
of one of the identified subgroups
Stratified random sampling
Cluster Sampling
• The process of randomly selecting intact groups, not
individuals, within the defined population sharing similar
characteristics
• Clusters are locations within which an intact group of
members of the population can be found
• Examples
– Neighborhoods
– School districts
– Schools
– Classrooms
Cluster sampling (continued)
– Advantages
• Very useful when populations are large and spread over
a large geographic region
• Convenient and expedient
• Do not need the names of everyone in the population
– Disadvantages
• Representation is likely to become an issue
Cluster sampling (continued)
– Selection process
• Identify and define the population
• Determine the desired sample size
• Identify and define a logical cluster
• List all clusters that make up the population of clusters
• Estimate the average number of population members per
cluster
• Determine the number of clusters needed by dividing the
sample size by the estimated size of a cluster
• Randomly select the needed numbers of clusters
• Include in the study all individuals in each selected cluster
Cluster sampling
CLUSTER SAMPLING
• Cluster sampling is an example of 'two-stage sampling' .
• First stage a sample of areas is chosen;
• Second stage a sample of respondents within those
areas is selected.
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MULTISTAGE SAMPLING
• Complex form of cluster sampling in which two or more
levels of units are embedded one in the other.
• First stage, random number of districts chosen in all
states.
• Followed by random number of talukas, villages.
• Then third stage units will be houses.
• All ultimate units (houses, for instance) selected at last
step are surveyed.
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Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) Sampling
• In probability-proportional-to-size ('PPS') sampling, the
selection probability for each element is set to be
proportional to its size measure, up to a maximum of 1.
• However, this has the drawbacks of variable sample
size, and different portions of the population may still
be over- or under-represented due to chance variation
in selections.
• To address this problem, PPS may be combined with a
systematic approach.
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Non Probability sampling
1. Convenience sampling
2. Purposive Sampling
3. Quota Sampling
Convenience sampling
the process of including whoever happens to
be available at the time
Also called “accidental” or “haphazard”
sampling
Purposive sampling
The process whereby the researcher
selects a sample based on experience
or knowledge of the group to be
sampled
Also called “judgment” sampling
Quota sampling
• The process whereby a researcher gathers
data from individuals possessing identified
characteristics and quotas
• The population is first segmented into
mutually exclusive sub-groups, just as in
stratified sampling.
• Then judgment used to select subjects or
units from each segment based on a specified
proportion.
Snowball Sampling
It is when you don't know the best people to
study because of the unfamiliarity of the topic
or the complexity of events. So you ask
participants during interviews to suggest other
individuals to be sampled.
Thank you!
