SAMPLING

SAMPLING
A sample is a part of a target population, which
is carefully selected to represent the
population. Sampling frame is the list of
elements from which the sample is actually
drawn. Actually, sampling frame is nothing but
the correct list of population.

Example: Telephone directory, Product finder,

Yellow pages.
Sampling is the process of selecting units (e.g.,
people, organizations) from a population of
interest so that by studying the sample we
may fairly generalize our results back to the
population from which they were chosen.
Distinction between Census and Sampling

Census refers to complete inclusion of all

elements in the population.

A sample is a sub-group of the population.

When is a Census Appropriate?
1. A census is appropriate if the size of
population is small.

Example: A researcher may be interested in

contacting firms in iron and steel or
petroleum products industry. These
industries are limited in number, so a census
will be suitable
2. Sometimes, the researcher is interested in
gathering information from every individual.
Example: Quality of food served in a mess
When is Sample Appropriate?
1. When the size of population is large.
2. When time and cost are the main
considerations in research.
3. If the population is homogeneous
4. Also, there are circumstances when a census
is not possible.
Example: Reactions to global advertising by a
company.
 Types of Sample Design
Sampling is divided into two types:
Probability sampling:
Non Probability sampling
In a probability sample, every unit in the
population has equal chances for being
selected as a sample unit. Non-probability
sampling:
In the non-probability sampling, the units in the
population have unequal or negligible, almost
no chances for being selected as a sample
unit.
Sampling is the process of selecting a
small number of elements from a
larger defined target
group (Population) of elements in
order to draw conclusions about the
population.
Sample- is the subset of the
population
Definition:
Sampling is the act, process, or technique
of selecting a suitable sample,
or a representative part of a population for
the purpose of determining parameters or
characteristics of the whole population
Purpose Of Sampling 
To draw conclusions about populations from
samples, which enables us to determine
a population`s characteristics by directly
observing only a portion (or sample) of the
population.
We obtain a sample rather than a complete
enumeration (a census ) of the population for
many reasons.
 Need for Sampling
1. A sample can save time and money
2. A sample study is usually less expensive when
compared to census
3. Sampling enables more accurate measurements
4. Sampling remains the only way when the
population contains indefinite members.
5. Sampling remains the only choice when a test
involves the destruction of the item under the
study.
Important terminologies...
• Population
• Element
• Sample
• Sampling Unit
• Subject
The population refers to the entire group of
people, events or things of interest that the
researcher wishes to investigate.
Ex:
If an organization is interested in studying the
effects of a four-day work week on the white-
collar workers then all white-collar workers in
that company will make up the population.
Element
An element is the single member of the
population.

Ex: If 1000 blue-collar workers in a particular

organization are working and an researcher is
interested to know the satisfaction level of
these workers then each member (blue-
collar) of the particular organization will be
considered as element.
Census is a count of all elements in the human
population

Sample
A sample is a subset of the population. it
comprises some members from it.
Ex:
If 200 members are drawn/selected from a
population of 1000 blue-collar workers to
study the desire outcome, then 200 members
form the sample for the study.
​1000 constitutes - population
Ex:
If there are 145 patients in a hospital and 40 of
them are to be surveyed by the hospital
administrator to assess there level of
satisfaction with the treatment received, then
these 40 members will be called the sample.
A sample is thus a subgroup or subset of the
population.
By studying the sample, the researcher should
be able to draw conclusions that are
generalizable to the population of interest.
Sampling Unit
The sample unit is the element or the set of
elements that is available for selection in
some stage of the sampling process.

• Example of sampling units in a multi stage

sample are city blocks, house hold, and
individuals with in the households.
Subject
A subject is a single member of the sample just
as an element is a single member of the
population.

If 200 members from the total population of

1000 blue-coller workers form the sample for
the study. Then each blue-coller worker in the
sample of 200 is a subject.
Ex 2
If there are 145 patients in a hospital and 40 of
them are to be surveyed by the hospital
administrator to assess there level of
satisfaction with the treatment received, then
each member from sample of 40 will be
called the subject.
What is a Good Sample?
Accurate: absence of bias
Precise estimate: sampling error

Sampling error : is any type of bias

that is attributable to mistakes in either drawing
a sample or determining the sample size.
​
Sampling Methods/Techniques

Sampling

Probabilit Non
y probability
I. Probability sampling methods
a) Simple random Sampling
b) Systematic Sampling
c) Stratified sampling
d) Cluster sampling
e) Multi stage sampling
f) Area sampling.
II. Non Probability sampling
a) Convenient Sampling
b) Judgment sampling
c) Quota Sampling
d) Snow ball sampling
I Probability Sampling Designs
A probability sample is one that gives every member
of the population a known chance of being
selected.

a) Simple Random Sampling
Simple random sampling is a method of probability
sampling in which every unit has an equal nonzero
chance of being selected

​
• Each element in the population has a known
and equal probability of selection.
• This implies that every element is selected
independently of every other element.
Systematic Random Sampling.
This method of sampling consists of taking every
kth item in the population .

Kth = Population / sample size n

10000 / 1000 = 100 th interval

The sampling interval, i, is determined by
dividing the population size N by the sample
size n and rounding to the nearest integer

For example, there are 100,000 elements in the

population and a sample of 1,000 is desired. In
this case the sampling interval, i, is 100
A random number between 1 and 100 is
selected. If, for example, this number is 23,
the sample consists of elements 23, 123, 223,
323, 423, 523, and so on.
Systematic Random Sampling
There are three steps:
1. Sampling interval K is determined by the following
formula:
No. of units in the population
K = -------------------------------------------
No. of units desired in the sample

2. One unit between the first and Kth unit in the

population list is randomly chosen.
3. Add Kth unit to the randomly chosen number.
Example: Consider 1,000 households from which we
want to select 50 units.
K = 1000 / 50 = 20

Calculate To select the first unit, we randomly pick

one number between 1 to 20, say 17. So our
sample begins with 17, 37, 57………….. Please note
that only the first item was randomly selected. The
rest are systematically selected. This is a very
popular method because we need only one
random number.
Stratified Random Sampling
A probability sampling procedure in which
simple random sub-samples are drawn from
within different strata that are, more or less
equal on some characteristics.
Stratified sampling is of two types
A) Proportionate Stratified Sampling
B) Disproportionate stratified sampling.
Ex: In a population of 1000 students in a college,
Lets assume that there are 600 males and 400
female students.
This type of grouping the population is called as
STRATA
Selecting sample from the stratum is called as
Stratified sampling.
Proportionate stratified sampling: The number
of sampling units drawn from each stratum is
in proportion to the population size of that
stratum.
Ex: From the 600 male and 400 female students,
sample is selected based on some proportions
say 50% of the male selected belongs to rural
and 30% urban and 20% semi urban
Place Male Proportion

Rural 200 50% on 200 = 100

Urban 200 30% on 200 = 60

Semi urban 200 20% on 200 = 40

Total 600 Total 200

Disproportionate stratified sampling: The
number of sampling units drawn from each
stratum is based on the analytical
consideration, but not in proportion to the
size of the population of that stratum
Place Male Sample without proportion

Rural 200 50

Urban 200 150

Semi urban 200 50

Total 600 200

Cluster sampling
Random selection of sampling units consisting of
population elements. Each sampling unit is a
cluster of population elements. Then from
each sampling unit, a sample of population
element is drawn by either following any
random sampling methods.
Population Elements Cluster

1. City Households Blocks

2. City Individuals Households

3.Affiliating Students Affiliated colleges

University
4. Rural areas Households Villages

5. Industrial areas Industrial units Industrial estates

Features of cluster sampling
1. Population is divided into many clusters or
sub groups, each with a few elements.
2. Clustering is done on the basis of
geographical areas or administrative
divisions.
Area Sampling
This is a form of cluster sampling. In larger field
of survey, cluster consisting of specific
geographical areas, like districts, Talukas,
villages, or blocks in a city are randomly
drawn.
As the geographical areas are selected as
sampling units in such cases, their sampling is
called as area sampling. It forms a part of
cluster sampling.
Multi stage sampling
In this method, sampling is done in several
stages.
The population is regarded as being composed
of a number of first stage sampling units.
Each of them is made up of a number of second
stage units and so forth. Thus in a each stage ,
sampling unit is a cluster of the sampling
units of the subsequent stage.
Population 1000

First stage ( 600)

second stage ( 250)

Third stage ( 100)

Area sampling is appropriate where the
population is scattered over a wide
geographical areas and no frame or list is
available for sampling.

It is useful when the survey is to be made in a

limited time and cost budget.
 Nonprobability Sampling

Non probability sample is an arbitrary ( illogical)

grouping that limits the use of some statistical
tests. It is not selected randomly.
​
Classifications of Nonprobability Sampling
• Convenience Sampling
• Judgment Sampling/ deliberate / Purposive
• Quota Sampling
• Snowball Sampling
Convenience Sampling
• Convenience sampling attempts to obtain a
sample of convenient elements. Often,
respondents are selected because they happen
to be in the right place at the right time.
• ​
– Use of students, and members of social organizations
– Mail intercept interviews without qualifying the
• respondents.
– “people on the street” interviews
Deliberate or Purposive Sampling This is also
known as the judgment sampling. The
investigator uses his discretion in selecting
sample observations from the universe. As a
result, there is an element of bias in the
selection.
Quota Sampling
Quota sampling is quite frequently used in
marketing research. It involves the fixation of
certain quotas, which are to be fulfilled by the
interviewers.
Suppose, 2,00,000 students are appearing for a
competitive examination. We need to select
1% of them based on quota sampling. :
1/100 * 200,000 = 2000 students
The classification of quota may be as follows:
Example: Classification of Samples Category
Category Quota

General merit 1,000

Sport 600

NRI 100

SC/ST 300

Total 2000
Snowball Sampling This is a non-probability
sampling. In this method, the initial group of
respondents are selected randomly.

Subsequent respondents are being selected

based on the opinion or referrals provided by
the initial respondents.
Further referrals will lead to more referrals,
thus leading to a snowball sampling.

The referrals will have demographic and

psychographic characteristics that are
relatively similar to the person referring them.
What is Sampling?