SAMPLING C

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1
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Definition
In research, sampling is a word that refers to your method
or process of selecting respondents or people to answer
questions meant to yield data for a research study. The
chosen ones constitute the sample through which you will
derive facts and evidence to support the claims or conclusions
propounded by your research problem. The bigger
group from where you choose the sample is called population,
and sampling frame is the term used to mean the list of the
members of such population from where you will get
the sample. (Paris 2013)
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History
The beginning of sampling could be traced back to
the early political activities of the Americans in 1920
when Literary Digest did a pioneering survey about the
American citizens’ favorite among the 1920 presidential
candidates. This was the very first survey that served
as the impetus for the discovery by academic
researchers of other sampling strategies that they
categorized into two classes: probability sampling or
unbiased sampling and non-probability sampling.
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Probability Sampling or Unbiased Sampling
Probability sampling involves all members listed in
the sampling frame representing a certain population
focused on by your study. An equal chance of
participation in the sampling or selection process is
given to every member listed in the sampling frame. By
means of this unbiased sampling, you are able to
obtain a sample that is capable of representing the
population under study or of showing strong similarities
in characteristics with the members of the population.
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A sampling error crops up if the selection does not take place
in the way it is planned. Such sampling error is manifested by
strong dissimilarity between the sample and the ones listed in
the sampling frame. (P) How numerous the sampling errors are
depends on the size of the sample. The smaller the sample is,
the bigger the number of sampling errors. Thus, choose to have
a bigger sample of respondents to avoid sampling errors.
However, deciding to increase the size of your sample is not so
easy. There are these things you have to mull over in finalizing
about this such as expenses for questionnaires and interview
trips, interview schedules, and time for reading respondents’
answers.
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The right sample size also depends on whether or
not the group is heterogeneous r homogeneous. The
first group requires a bigger size; the second, a smaller
one. For a study in the field of social sciences requiring
an in-depth investigation of something such as one
involving the national government, the right sample size
ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 or up to 2,500. On the other
hand, hundreds, not thousands, of respondents suffice
for a study about any local government unit. (Suter
2012; Emmel 2013)
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Types of Probability Sampling
1. Simple Random Sampling
Simple random sampling is the best type of probability sampling
through which you can choose sample from a population. Using a
pure-chance selection, you assure every member the same
opportunity to be in the sample. Here, the only basis of including or
excluding a member is by chance or opportunity, not by any
occurrence accounted for by cause-effect relationships. Simple
random sampling happens through any of these two methods: (Burns
2012)
1) Have a list of all members of the population; write each name on a
card, and choose cards through a pure-chance selection.
2) Have a list of all members; give a number to member and then use
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2. Systematic Sampling
For this kind of probability sampling, chance and system are the
ones to determine who should compose the sample. For instance,
if you want to have a sample of 150, you may select a set of
numbers like 1 to 15, and out of a list of 1,500 students, take every
15th name on the list until you complete
the total number of respondents to constitute your sample.
3. Stratified Sampling
The group comprising the sample is chosen in a way that such
group is liable to subdivision during the data analysis stage. A
study needing group -by-group analysis finds stratified sampling
the right probability sampling to use.
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4. Cluster Sampling
This is a probability sampling that makes you isolate a
set of persons instead of individual members to serve
as sample members. For example, if you want to have
a sample of 120 out of 1,000 students, you can
randomly
select three sections with 40 students each to
constitute the sample.
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Non-Probability Sampling
Non-probability sampling disregards random selection
of subjects. The subjects are chosen based on their
availability or the purpose of the study, and in some
cases, on the sole discretion of the researcher. This is
not a scientific way of selecting respondents. Neither
does it offer a valid or an objective way of detecting
sampling errors. (Edmond 2013)
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Types of Non-Probability Sampling
1. Quota Sampling
You resort to quota sampling when you think you know the
characteristics of the target population very well. In this case,
you tend to choose sample members possessing or indicating
the characteristics of the target population. Using a quota or a
specific set of persons whom you believe to have the
characteristics of the target population involved in the
study is your way of showing that the sample you have chosen
closely represents the target population as regards such
characteristics.
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2. Voluntary Sampling
Since the subjects you expect to participate in the
sample selection are the ones volunteering to constitute
the sample, there is no need for you to do any selection
process.
3. Purposive or Judgmental Sampling
You choose people whom you are sure could
correspond to the objectives of your study, like selecting
those with rich experience or interest in your study.
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4. Availability Sampling
The willingness of a person as your subject to interact
with you counts a lot in this non-probability sampling
method. If during the data-collection time, you
encounter people walking on a school campus, along
corridors, and along the park or employees lining up at
an office, and these people show willingness to respond
to your questions, then you automatically consider them
as your respondents.
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5. Snowball Sampling
Similar to snow expanding widely or rolling rapidly, this
sampling method does not give a specific set of samples. This
is true for a study involving unspecified group of people.
Dealing with varied groups of people such as street children,
mendicants, drug dependents, call center workers, informal
settlers, street vendors, and the like is possible in this
kind of non-probability sampling. Free to obtain data from any
group just like snow freely expanding and accumulating at a
certain place, you tend to increase the number of people you
want to form the sample of your study. (Harding 2013)