Sampling Methods

Question 1

What is a population?

Answer 1

The people who live within a society.

Question 2

What is a research population?

Answer 2

The group of people that the researcher wishes to study.

Question 3

What is a sample?

Answer 3

The individuals who are actually taking part in the study.

Question 4

What does representative mean?

Answer 4

The extent to which a sample mirrors the target population and reflects its characteristics.

Question 5

What does generalisability mean?

Answer 5

The extent to which findings can be applied to the larger population from which the sample was drawn.

Question 6

What is random sampling?

Answer 6

A method where everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected, e.g., picking names from a hat.

Question 7

Strength of random sampling

Answer 7

Easy to create, can be generated by computer.

Question 8

Limitation of random sampling

Answer 8

Can lead to an unrepresentative sample.

Question 9

What is stratified sampling?

Answer 9

A method where the sample reflects the proportions of different groups in the research population.

Question 10

Strength of stratified sampling

Answer 10

Produces a representative sample.

Question 11

Limitation of stratified sampling

Answer 11

Can be complicated to construct.

Question 12

What is quota sampling?

Answer 12

A method where researchers must fill specific quotas, e.g., 30 out of 90 participants must be unemployed.

Question 13

Strength of quota sampling

Answer 13

Produces a representative sample.

Question 14

Limitation of quota sampling

Answer 14

Difficult to find enough people to meet quotas.

Question 15

What is systematic sampling?

Answer 15

Selecting every Nth person from the population, where N = population size ÷ sample size.

Question 16

Strength of systematic sampling

Answer 16

Relatively easy to create.

Question 17

Limitation of systematic sampling

Answer 17

Can lead to an unrepresentative sample.

Question 18

What is snowball sampling?

Answer 18

Researchers find a few participants, who then recruit more participants, and so on.

Question 19

Strength of snowball sampling

Answer 19

Useful for researching hard-to-access groups.

Question 20

Limitation of snowball sampling

Answer 20

Can be unrepresentative.

Question 21

What is opportunity sampling?

Answer 21

Using people who are available and willing to take part at the time; based on convenience.

Question 22

Strength of opportunity sampling

Answer 22

Quick and easy.

Question 23

Limitation of opportunity sampling

Answer 23

Often unrepresentative.