SAMPLING PROCEDURES

MKTG 3342
Fall 2008
Professor Edward Fox

SAMPLING PROCEDURES
Outline
1. INTRODUCTION: Sampling vs. Census
2. PROCEDURE FOR DRAWING SAMPLE
3. TYPES OF SAMPLING PLANS
4. NONPROBABILITY SAMPLES
5. PROBABILITY SAMPLES

1. SAMPLING VS. CENSUS

ADVANTAGES OF SAMPLING
Time
Cost
DISADVANTAGES
Because only a sample has been
drawn, there is associated uncertainty
(error)

1. SAMPLING VS. CENSUS

Target Population

Sample

2. PROCEDURE FOR DRAWING SAMPLE

(slightly different from procedure in your book)

A. DEFINE THE TARGET POPULATION
the specification of people or cases on whom

the research is to be conducted.

B. IDENTIFY THE SAMPLING FRAME

Listing of population elements from which

sample is drawn.

C.
D.
E.

SELECT THE SAMPLING PLAN

DETERMINE SAMPLE SIZE
SELECT THE SAMPLING UNITS

3. TYPES OF SAMPLING PROCEDURES

SAMPLE DESIGN

NONPROBABILITY SAMPLES

PROBABILITY SAMPLES

- CONVENIENCE
- SIMPLE RANDOM
- JUDGMENTAL
- STRATIFIED
- QUOTA
PROPORTIONATE
- SNOWBALL DISPROPORTIONATE
- CLUSTER
- SYSTEMATIC

PROBABILITY VS. NONPROBABILITY

PROBABILITY SAMPLING
Every member of the population has a known,
non-zero probability of being selected

NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING
The probability of any particular member being
chosen for the sample is unknown

NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING METHODS

CONVENIENCE SAMPLES
Nonprobability samples used primarily because
they are easy to collect

JUDGMENT SAMPLES
Nonprobability samples in which the selection
criteria are based on personal judgment that the
element is representative of the population
under study

NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING METHODS

QUOTA SAMPLES
Nonprobability samples in which population
subgroups are classified on the basis of
researcher judgment

SNOWBALL SAMPLES
Nonprobability samples in which selection of
additional respondents is based on referrals
from the initial respondents

PROBABILITY SAMPLING METHODS

SIMPLE RANDOM SAMPLING

A probability sample in which every element of
the population has a known and equal
probability of being selected into the sample

Probability of Selection =

Sample Size
Population Size

PROBABILITY SAMPLING METHODS

STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING

INVOLVES THE FOLLOWING TWO-STEP

PROCEDURE:

I. The parent population is divided into mutually

exclusive and collectively exhaustive subsets
(strata)
II. A simple random sample is chosen from each
subset

REASONS FOR STRATIFIED SAMPLING

-- Investigate characteristics of interest by
subgroup; stratification allows for
adequate representation of different subgroups
-- Increase precision (reduce sampling error)
EXAMPLE

Suppose I want to investigate if low-income users default

more on credit card than high-income users. I want to
ensure adequate representation of people with both high
and low incomes, so I divide the population on the basis of
income and take a random sample from the high-income
group and the low-income group.

PROPORTIONATE VS. DISPROPORTIONATE

STRATIFIED SAMPLING

PROPORTIONATE STRATIFIED SAMPLING: Take

sample size in (same) proportion to size of the population in
each subgroup or stratum; e.g., suppose there are 3,000
high-income users and 10,000 low-income users; then take
maybe 30 (1%) high-income and l00 (1%) low-income users
DISPROPORTIONATE STRATIFIED SAMPLING:
Sample size not necessarily in proportion to population
subgroup size; e.g. take 60 (2%) high-income consumers
and 100 (1%) low-income users because I think there is
substantial variation among high-income consumers

CLUSTER SAMPLING

TWO-STEP PROCEDURE:
-- Population is divided into mutually
exclusive and collectively exhaustive subsets
-- A random sample of the subsets is selected
-- In one-stage cluster sampling, all elements in
the randomly selected subsets are included
-- In two-stage cluster sampling, a sample is
selected probabilistically from each randomly
selected subset

MOTIVATION FOR CLUSTER SAMPLING

GENERALLY LOWER COST (but less accurate)

For example,
In the income / credit default case, suppose you divide people
based on where they live (say, by zip code), then randomly select
zip codes (say 75248 and 75212) and investigate either everyone
in both zip codes or a random sample of people from both zip
codes

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRATIFICATION

AND CLUSTERING

The variable used for stratification must be related to research

focus (income, in our example)
The variable used for clustering must not be related to research
focus (zip code, in our example)

PROBABILITY SAMPLING METHODS

SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING
Probability sampling in which the entire
population is numbered. The first number is
drawn randomly. Subsequent elements are
drawn using a skip interval.
Skip Interval =

Population Size
Sample Size

PROBABILITY SAMPLING METHODS

Example

of systematic sampling

Suppose

I want to pick 100 phone numbers to

call from a telephone directory with 1000
pages. Use
Population Size (1000)
Skip Interval = Sample Size (100)

= 10

First, draw a random number between 1 and 10

(say you get 7); then pick pages 7, 17, 27, 997
From each page you can pick a phone number
(say on top right corner)

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

(1 of 2)
The

population is the total group of people

in whose opinions one is interested
A census involves collecting desired
information from all the members of the
population
A sample is simply a subset of a population

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

(2 of 2)
Probability sampling methods are selected in such
a way that every element of the population has a
known, nonzero probability of selection
Nonprobability sampling methods include all
methods that select specific elements from the
population in a nonrandom manner
Stratified probability sampling is generally the best
method for selecting a sample, if time and budget
permit