What is a population?

Complete group of entities that share common sets of characteristics

All that meet specific conditions of membership
Population elements = those that meet population characteristics
Number of criteria increase = cost and time increase

Defining a population?

Right population is selected based upon research questions research

design
The target population must be very clearly defined through population
parameters

What is a sample?

Researches use samples to infer characteristics of populations without

consulting every member
A sample is a subset of a larger population
Uses a portion of the population to make a conclusion regarding the whole
population (representable)
Results of a good sample should have the same characteristcs as the
population as a whole (generisable and replicable)

Why use samples?

Practical reasons
Accuracy and reliability

Sampling frames

A list from which the sample is drawn

Derived from population elements
E.g. customer databases, member lists, phone books, employees
No perfect frame exists may need to develop own sampling frame

Sampling procedures

Process of drawing the right sample

Divided into non-probability and probability procedures
Necessary for your research proposal

Non-probability sampling procedures

Not ever population member has the opportunity to be sampled

A correct sampling frame does not exist
Researchers who make decisions on who they will sample from, with
limitaions
Includes:
- Convenience
Being included is a matter of convenience

Right place at right time, or easy to access

Suited to exploratory research
Cannot necessarily draw important conclusions
Judgement
Hand-picked by researchers
Possess certain characteristics
May be suitable procedure or invalidate results
Snowball
Respondents to identify and select other respondents
Relies on ability to locate initial set of respondents
Useful for niche or other hard to reach population
May lead to bias due to similarity or familiarity
Quota
Ensures various subgroups of a population is represented in a
specific proportion
Left to the discretion of researcher
Digital and online ease
Relies on in-depth sampling frame

Probability sampling procedures

Every population element is known and has the opportunity to be sampled

Sampling error is reduced and more objective
Inferences can be made about the population, theoretically without
sampling error
Includes:
- Random
Each respondent has a known and equal chance of being
selected
Every combination or population elements is a possibility
Ensures sampling error is not added to by the researchers
- Systematic
Randomly selects the first respondent then develop a
system for subsequent sampling
Once the first is selected, all population elements no longer
have an equal chance
E.g. every 30th unique customer on a customer database
- Stratified
Break population down into mutually exclusive strata (sub
groups), then sample within these strata
- Cluster