SOCIO LEGAL

RESEARCH
SAMPLING

Submitted To : Ms. Shallu Nuniwal

Submitted By : Gulraz Singh
Class : BALLB (Hons.) Sec A
Semester : 1st
Roll No : 29/17
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I have written this project titled “sampling” under the supervision of “Ms. Shallu ” faculty of
UILS, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

The valuable suggestions of my supervisor not only helped me immensely in making this work,
but also in developing an analytical approach in work.

I found no words to express my sense of gratitude for Director of our institute for encouragement
at every step.

I am extremely grateful to librarian and library staff of the institute for the support and
cooperation extended by them time to time.

-GULRAZ SINGH
29/17
Section A
BALLB(Hons)
 INDEX
Sr.No TOPIC PAGE NO.

1. INTRODUCTION 3

2. WHAT IS SAMPLING? 4

3. CHARACTERISTICS & PRINCIPLES OF SAMPLING 5

4. FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED 6

5. KEY TERMS 7

6. SAMPLE SIZE 8

7. TYPES OF SAMPLING 9-15

8. REFERENCES 16

9. WEBLIOGRAPHY 17
Introduction
This assignment is aimed to study Sampling in Legal Research Methodology. In the Research
Methodology, practical formulation of the research is very much important and so should be
done very carefully with proper concentration and in the presence of a very good guidance.

But during the formulation of the research on the practical grounds, one tends to go through a
large number of problems. These problems are generally related to the knowing of the features of
the universe or the population on the basis of studying the characteristics of the specific part or
some portion, generally called as the sample.

The universe or population is of two types:

 Finite
 Infinite

The population that consists of fixed number of elements is called finite population. The
population where we cannot make out the total number of items is referred to as infinite
population.

Sampling is one of the steps involved in conducting a effective and efficient research.

The assignment is based on the analysis of Sampling in Legal Research Methodology and to
have a better understanding of the research practices.

What is sampling?
The primary purpose of research is to discover principles that have universal application. But, it
is not possible to gather information from everyone or everything of a population. The study of
whole population would be impracticable if not impossible as it there is very rarely enough time
and money to gather the required information from all of the population. Some populations are
so large that their characteristics cannot be measured, before the measurement could be
completed, the population would have changed.
To counter the problem of the impracticality of studying the whole population, a sample is
derived from the population which represents the whole population and serves as the basis of the
research to the problem in hand. It must be noted that the characteristics of the sample must
represent the whole of the populations, else the result would be inaccurate. A number of factors
have to be considered before selecting the sample which helps to ensure the selection of the
sample which is the closest representative of the population.

So, Sampling is the selection of a sample from the whole of the population which acts as a
representative for the same.
For Instance: Conducting a legal awareness survey for all the slums in India would be
impractical. In this study, a large number of manpower and huge amount of money would be
required. A hefty number of researches and students would need to be involved. Time, money &
manpower involved in complete enumeration is very, very high. The goal of finding a
representative sample of the population, therefore, becomes a necessity.

“Sampling is an important aspect of life in general

and enquiry in particular. We make judgments about people, places

and things on the basis of fragmentary evidence. Sampling considerations pervade all

aspects of research and crop up in various forms

no matter what research strategy or investigatory technique we use.”

Colin Robson

Characteristics & principles of sampling

The core purpose of sampling is to assist the research and the researches to derive useful
information and accurate facts and figures about the population. Some of the characteristics of
sampling are:

 A good sample adheres to sampling procedures and well defined process.

1. Defining the population.
 2. Determining the sample size.
3. Data collection.
4. Reviewing.
 A good sample is based on good sampling design.
1. Relates to objectives.
2. Practical.
3. In accordance to the purpose.
 A good sample is ideally a representative sample of the population.
1. Large enough to give sufficient precision.
2. Unbiased.
3. Taken at random.

Sampling works on a number of principles which must be followed for accuracy of the research.
The important principles of sampling are:

 Sample units must be clearly defined and easily identifiable.

 Sample units must be independent of each other.
 Same units of sample should be used throughout the study
 Sample units must be chosen in a systematic and objective manner.
 The selection process should be based on sound criteria and should avoid errors,
bias and distortions.

Factors to be considered
In selecting ways of choosing samples for the collection of social and economic data, the best
method for any inquiry will depend on both the nature of the population to be sampled, the time
and money available for investigation, and the degree of accuracy required. It should, however,
be emphasized that a sample ought to be representative of the population under study.
Essentially, inference from sample to populations is a matter of confidence that can be placed in
the representativeness of the sample.
A sample is representative to the degree to which it reflects the characteristics of population. It
must also be stressed that the representativeness of a sample is difficult, if not impossible, to
check.

It depends upon the degree of precision with which the population is specified, the adequacy of
the sample and the heterogeneity of the population. Confidence in the representativeness of a
sample is increased if the population is well defined. In another way adequacy of the sample is
also an important consideration in case a very small sample is taken. To be adequate a sample
must be of sufficient size to allow the researcher to have confidence in the inference.

Finally, it must also be stated that representativeness depends on the degree of homogeneity of
the population. The more alike the units of the population, the smaller the sample can be and still
be representative. To choose a representative sample is the most difficult exercise in the
sampling process. The majority of persons are subject to conscious or unconscious bias or
prejudice which causes them to choose a sample which is unrepresentative in some respect.

 Time
 Biasedness
 Representativeness
 Size of the universe.
 Sample size
 Money
 Degree of accuracy required.
 Homogeneity
 Heterogeneity

KEY TERMS
 Universe or Population: The sum total or the aggregate of all units that confront to some
designated set of applications is called the universe or population. A population may be a
group of people, houses, workers, students, legislators, and so on. The specific nature of
the population depends on the purpose of the investigation.
  Sample: It is a portion of the total population. The sample represents the whole of the
population for the purpose of the research and the helps to derive the information and facts
about the population.
 Sampling element: Each entity from the population about which information is collected
is called a sampling element.
 Target population: It is one to which researcher would like to generalize his results.
 Sampling fraction: It is the proportion of the total population to be included in the
sample. The formula is Size of population/Total population.
 Sampling unit: This is either a single member or a collection of elements subject to data
analysis and in the sample. It is the Sampling unit is same as the sampling element if there
is a single element, in case of number of elements present it is referred to as a sampling
unit.
 Sampling frame: It is the complete list of all units/elements from which the sample is
drawn. The sampling frame is also called the working population because it provides the
list that can be operationally worked with.
 Parameters: The characteristics of a population are called parameters.

Sample size
A question is often asked: how many persons should be included in the sample, i.e., how large or
small must the sample be to be representative? Some people say, the most common size is one-
tenth of the total population. Some other say that a minimum of 100 subjects is required.
However, these estimates are not always correct. The sample size has to be based on the
following considerations:

 The size of population, i.e., whether the total population is very large or small.
 Nature of population, i.e., whether the population is homogenous. In case the population
is not homogenous, a large sample size may be required.
 Cost. With more resources, a large sample can be prepared.
 Variability required. Sometimes the respondent required has to be persons of different
groups.
  Desired accuracy. For high degree of accuracy, a large sample needs to be obtained and
vice-versa.
 Sampling error. Minimum the sampling error, maximum the representativeness of the
sample.
 Purpose of study, i.e., whether the study is descriptive, exploratory or explanatory.
 Accessibility of the elements. Many a time it is difficult to contact respondents at the time
and places convenient to the researcher.
 Stratification, i.e., how many times the sample has to be sub-divided during the data
analysis. If the sample needs to be divided a number of times, a large sample can be
helpful to obtain better results.

Mathematical formula1 for sample size:

𝑁
n=
1 + 𝑛(𝑒)2
where, N is the total population and ‘e’ is the ‘error’ or confidence level.

Suppose, the total population is 500 and confidence level is 95 percent or error (e) is .05,
then the sample size would be:

500
n= 1+500 (0.5)2 = 222, therefore the sample size comes out to be 222.

Types of sampling
Sampling can be categorized into two major heads:

 Probability sampling:
It is the one in which every unit of the population has equal probability of getting selected
for the sample. It offers a high degree of representativeness. However, this mode is
expensive, time consuming and relatively complicated as it requires a large sample size
and the units are usually widely scattered.

1
by Taro Yamane
  Non-probability sampling:
It leaves no space for representativeness, as every unit does not get a chance of being
selected as a sample. It is the researcher who decides which sample units should be taken.

Types of sampling under probability sampling:

 Simple random sampling.

 Systematic sampling.
 Stratified sampling.
 Cluster sampling.
 Multi stage sampling.
 Multi phase sampling.

Types of sampling under Non-probability sampling:

 Convenience sampling.
 Purposive sampling.
 Quota sampling.
 Snowball sampling.
 Volunteer sampling.

Simple random sampling

This involves selection at random from the sampling frame of the required number of persons for
the sample. If properly conducted, this gives each person an equal chance of being included in
the sample, and also makes all possible combination of persons for a particular sample size
equally likely. So, random sampling is the form applied when the method of selection assures
each element or individual in the universe an equal chance of being chosen. It is more suitable in
more homogeneous and comparatively larger groups. A random sample can be drawn by:

 Lottery method.
  Tippet’s table.
 Sequential list.

Systematic sampling
This involves choosing a starting point in the sampling frame at random, and then choosing
every nth person. Thus if a sample of fifty is required from a population of 2,000, then every
fortieth person is chosen. The problem of simple random and systematic samplings is, that both
require a full list of the population, and getting this list is often difficult.

For example: If 10 students have to be selected from a class of 60 students, the researcher may
selected every 5th student for the list of students.

Stratified sampling
This involves dividing the universe or population into a number of groups or strata, where
members of a group share a particular characteristic or characteristics(e.g. stratum A may be
females; stratum B males). There is then random sampling within the strata. It is usual to have
proportionate sampling. It may sometimes be helpful to have dis-proportionate sampling, where
there is an unequal weighting. It is possible to combine stratification with systematic sampling
procedures.

It is the combination of both random sampling and purposive selection. In the selection of strata,
we use purposive selection method, but in selecting actual units from each stratum, random
method is used.

Cluster sampling
This involves dividing the population into a number of units, or clusters, each of which contains
individuals having a range of characteristics. The clusters themselves are chosen on a random
basis. The subpopulation within the cluster is then chosen. This tactic is particularly useful when
a population is widely dispersed and large, requiring a great deal of effort and travel to get the
survey information.
For example: If a survey has to be conducted to ascertain the problems faced by doctors and
patients in different units of a hospital to introduce some reformative programmes, it would not
be viable to call all doctors from different units and a large number of patients. To counter this
problem doctors and some people from different units will be chosen on random basis to make
clusters. Then the clusters of different units will be collectively called for the purpose of
research.

Multi stage sampling

This is an extension of cluster sampling. This method is generally used in selecting a sample
from a very large area. It involves selecting the sample in stages, i.e. taking samples from
samples. Thus one might take a random sample of schools, then a random sample of the classes
within each of the schools, and then from within selected classes choose a sample of children. As
with cluster sampling, this provides a means of generating a geographically concentrated
sampling.

For example: For studying the panchayat system in villages, India is divided into zones (say, four
zones, viz., North, South, East, West), one state is selected from each zone (say, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Assam), one district is further selected from each state, one block
from each state, and then three villages from each block are selected. Sampling in each stage will
be random, but it can also be deliberate or purposive.

Multi phase sampling

The process in this type of sampling is same as in multi-stage sampling, i.e., primary selection,
secondary selection and so on. However, in a multi-phase sampling procedure, each sample is
adequately studied before another sample is drawn from it. Consequently, while in multi-stage
sampling, only the final sample is studied, in multi-phase sampling all samples are researched.
This offers an advantage over the other methods because the information gathered at each phase
helps the researcher to choose more relevant and more representative sample.
Convenience sampling
It involves choosing the nearest and almost convenient persons to act as respondents. The
process continues until the required sample size is reached. It is sometimes used as a cheap and
dirty way of doing a sample survey. You do not know whether or not findings are representative.
This is probably one of the most widely used and least satisfactory methods of sampling.

This method is generally known as unsystematic, careless, accidental or opportunistic sampling.

According to this system, a sample is selected according to convenience of the field workers or
researchers. The convenience may be in respect of availability of source list and accessibility of
the units. It is used when universe or population is not clearly defined, sampling unit is not clear
or a complete source list is not available. This is also known as ‘accidental; or ‘haphazard’
sampling.

For example: Taking man-on-the-street interviews during election times to reflect public opinion.

Purposive sampling
The principle of selection in purposive sampling is the researcher's judgment as to typicality or
interest. A sample is built up which enables the researcher to satisfy his/her specific needs in a
research project. Accordingly, when the researcher deliberately or purposively selects certain
units for study from the population it is known as purposive selection. In this type of selection
the choice of the selector is supreme and nothing is left to chance. It is more useful especially
when some of the units are very important and, in the opinion of the researcher, must be included
in the sample. It is also known as judgemental sampling.

For example: If a researcher wants to study beggars and he knows some areas where beggars
could be found, he will consider only those areas for the purpose of research.

Quota sampling
Here the strategy is to obtain representative of the various elements of a population, usually in
the relative proportions in which they occur in the population. Quota sampling is a special form
of stratified sampling. According to this method, the universe is first divided into different strata.
Then the number to be selected from each stratum is decided. This number is known as quota.

For example: If a researcher requires a sample of 100 students out of 500 students, he may
specify how many number of boys and girls are required. If the researcher decides to have 60
boys and 40 girls, 60 will be the quota for the boys and 40 for the girls.

Snowball sampling
Here the researcher identifies one or more individuals from the population of interest (for e.g.
selecting a few judges, prosecutors or advocates for interview in conducting research on
effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal judiciary system). After they have been interviewed,
they are used as informants to identify other members of the population, who are themselves
used as informants, and so on. Snowball sampling is useful when there is difficulty in identifying
members of the population.

For example: If a researcher wants to study the problems faced by government school teachers,
he may approach some teachers who are known and available to him, then the teachers will refer
some names to be interviewed further, this process goes on until the desired sample size is
obtained.

Volunteer sampling
This is the technique in which the respondent himself volunteers to give the information he
holds. Often, the respondent has strong interest in the main topic of the research.

For example: A news show asks viewers to participate in an on-line poll. This would be a
voluntary sample. The sample is chosen by the viewers, not by the survey administrator.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Ahuja, R. (2001). Research Methods. Rawat Publications. pp. 155-190.

 D.R. Kapoor, P. S. (2013). Research Methodology Methods & Techniques. New Delhi:
Regal Publications. pp. 220-238.

 Khushal Vibhute, F. A. (n.d.). Wordpress. Retrieved October Sunday, 2016, from

Wodrpress: https://chilot.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/legal-research-methods.pdf

 Singh, K. (n.d.). MBA official. Retrieved October 10, 2016, from www.mbaofficial.com:
http://www.mbaofficial.com/mba-courses/research-methodology/what-is-sampling-what-
are-its-characteristics-advantages-and-disadvantages/

 Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2016, from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_(statistics)

WEBLIOGRAPHY
1. http://www.mbaofficial.com/mba-courses/research-methodology/what-is-sampling-what-
are-its-characteristics-advantages-and-disadvantages/
2. http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-sampling-in-research-definition-methods-
importance.html
3. http://www.studylecturenotes.com/social-research-methodology/advantages-
disadvantages-of-sampling-method-of-data-collection
4. http://goforthelaw.blogspot.in/2011/07/sampling-and-its-characteristics-by.html
5. http://www.ili.ac.in/Research%20Methods%20and%20Legal%20Writing.pdf