Data Sampling Methods

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 Sample Design and Size

Qualitative Quantitative
•Non-probability •Probability
•Purposive •Large sample
•Small sample

General Sampling Rule: Keep conducting interviews

until no new insights are gained.
 Non-Probability Sampling

Purposive Snowball Convenience

Sampling Sampling Sampling
 Sampling Concepts
Population: Population refers to any group of people or objects that
form the subject of study in a particular survey and are similar in one
or more ways.
Element: An element comprises a single member of the population.
Sampling frame: Sampling frame comprises all the elements of a
population with proper identification that is available to us for
selection at any stage of sampling.
Sample: It is a subset of the population. It comprises only some
elements of the population.

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 Sampling Concepts

Sampling unit: A sampling unit is a single member of the sample.

Sampling: It is a process of selecting an adequate number of
elements from the population so that the study of the sample will not
only help in understanding the characteristics of the population but
will also enable us to generalize the results.
Census (or complete enumeration): An examination of each and
every element of the population is called census or complete
enumeration

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 Advantages of Sample over Census

• Sample saves time and cost.

• A decision-maker may not have too much of time to wait till
all the information is available.
• There are situations where a sample is the only option.
• The study of a sample instead of complete enumeration may,
at times, produce more reliable results.
• A census is appropriate when the population size is small.

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 Sampling Vs. Non-Sampling Error
Sampling Error: This error arises when a sample is not representative of
the population.
Non-Sampling Error: This error arises not because a sample is not a
representative of the population but because of other reasons. Some of
these reasons are listed below:
• Plain lying by the respondent.
• The error can arise while transferring the data from the questionnaire
to the spreadsheet on the computer.
• There can be errors at the time of coding, tabulation and computation.
• Population of the study is not properly defined
• Respondent may refuse to be part of the study.
• There may be a sampling frame error.
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 Sampling Design
Probability Sampling Design - Probability sampling designs are used in
conclusive research. In a probability sampling design, each and every element
of the population has a known chance of being selected in the sample.

Simple Random Sampling (SRS) is a method of selection of a sample

comprising of n number of sampling units out of the population having N
number of sampling units such that every sampling unit has an equal chance
of being chosen.

Types of Probability Sampling Design

1. Simple random sampling with replacement (SRSWOR)
2. Simple random sampling without replacement (SRSWR)
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Systematic Sampling: In which sample members from a larger
population are selected according to a random starting point and
a fixed periodic interval. This interval, called the sampling
interval, is calculated by dividing the population size by the
desired sample size.

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Stratified Random Sampling: Is a method of sampling that
involves the division of a population into smaller groups known
as strata. In stratified random sampling, or stratification, the
strata are formed based on members’ shared attributes or
characteristics.

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Cluster Sampling: Is a sampling plan used when mutually
homogeneous yet internally heterogeneous groupings are evident in a
statistical population. In this sampling plan, the total population is
divided into these groups (known as clusters) and a simple random
sample of the groups is selected.

For example, a researcher wants to survey academic performance of

high school students in Chattishgarh. He can divide the entire
population (population of Chattishgarh) into
different clusters (cities). Then the researcher selects a number
of clusters depending on his research through simple or systematic
random sampling.
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 Sampling Design

Non-probability Sampling Designs - In case of non-probability

sampling design, the elements of the population do not have any
known chance of being selected in the sample.

Types of Non-Probability Sampling Design

• Purposive Sampling
• Snowball Sampling
• Convenience sampling

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 Sampling Design
A purposive sample is a non-probability sample that is selected
based on characteristics of a population and the objective of the
study. Purposive sampling is also known as judgmental,
selective, or subjective sampling.

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 Sampling Design
Snowball Sampling: Means that participants refer researchers to
others who have characteristics, experiences, or attitudes similar
to or different from their own.

Snowball sampling (or chain sampling, chain-referral sampling,

referral sampling) is a nonprobability sampling technique where
existing study subjects recruit future subjects from among their
acquaintances.

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 Sampling Design

Convenience sampling means that researchers select

any readily available individuals as participants.

Example, using student volunteers as subjects for the

research.
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 Determination of Sample Size

Confidence interval approach for determining the size of the sample

The following points are taken into account for determining the sample
size in this approach.
The variability of the population: Higher the variability as measured by
the population standard deviation, larger will be the size of the sample.
The confidence attached to the estimate: Higher the confidence the
researcher wants for the estimate, larger will be sample size.
The allowable error or margin of error: Greater the precision the
research seeks, larger would be the size of the sample.
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 Determination of Sample Size
Sample size for estimating population mean - The formula for
determining sample size is given as follows;

Where
n = Sample size
σ = Population standard deviation
e = Margin of error
Z = The value for the given confidence interval
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 Determination of Sample Size

Sample size for estimating population proportion –

1. When population proportion p is known

2. When population proportion p is not known

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 Determination of Sample Size

z*2pq
n= 2
; we don't know p or q;
(ME)
TWO METHODS :
1: if prior information is available concerning
the value of p, use that value of p to calculate
n;
2 : if no prior information about p is available,
to obtain a conservative estimate of the
1
required sample size, use p  q 
2
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Example: Sample Size to Estimate a Population Proportion p

The Curdle Dairy Co. wants to estimate the proportion p of customers

that will purchase its new broccoli-flavored ice cream.
Curdle wants to be 90% confident that they have estimated p to within
.03. How many customers should they sample?

*2
z pq
n= 2
(ME)
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The desired Margin of Error is ME = .03
Curdle wants to be 90% confident, so z*=1.645; the required sample size is
Since the sample has not yet been taken, the sample proportion p is still unknown.
We proceed using either one of the following two methods;

Method 1:
– There is no knowledge about the value of p
– Let p = .5. This results in the largest possible n needed for a 90% confidence
interval of the form
– If the proportion does not equal .5, the actual ME will be narrower than .03
with the n obtained by the formula below.

1.645   .5  .5
2

n  751.67  752
.03
2
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