SAMPLING DESIGN

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 The Nature of Sampling
• The basic idea of sampling is that by

selecting some of the elements in

population, we may draw conclusions

about the entire population

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 Nature of Sampling
• A population element is the unit of study

• The unit of study might be a person or just

about anything else

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 Why Sample?

• Lower cost

• Greater accuracy of results

• Greater speed of data collection

• Availability of Population elements.

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 What is Good Sample?

• How well it represents the characteristics of the

population it purports to represent

• In measurement terms, the sample must be

valid.

• Validity of a sample depends on two

considerations

• Accuracy and precision.

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 Accuracy
• Degree to which bias is absent from the
sample.

• Some sample elements underestimate the

population values being studied and other
overestimate them.

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 How do Bring in Accuracy?
• Under-estimation and over-estimation
offset each other and gives a sample
value that is generally close to the
population value.

• Offsetting requires large number of

elements

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 Precision
• No sample will fully represent its population in all
respects

• Differences in the sample and population values

occurs due to random fluctuations inherent in the
sampling process.

• This is called sampling error and reflects the

influences of chance in drawing the sample
members.
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 Sampling Error
• What is left after all known sources of systematic
variance have been accounted for.

• In theory, sampling error consists of random

fluctuations only

• Some unknown systematic variance may be

included when too many or too few sample
elements possess a particular characteristic.
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 Precision
• Measured by the standard error of estimate

• Type of standard deviation measurement

• The smaller the standard error of estimate, the

higher is the precision

• Samples of the same size can produce different

amounts of error variance.
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 Classification of Sample
Techniques

Sampling Techniques

Probability Non-Probability

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 Probability Sampling
Probability
Sampling

Simple Stratified
Systematic Cluster
Random Random
Sampling Sampling
Sampling Sampling

Proportion Dis
One- Two Multi-
ate Proportion
Stage Stage Stage
ate
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 Non-Probability

Non-
Probability

Convenience Quota Judgment Snowball

Sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling

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 Steps in Sampling Design
• What is the Relevant Population?

• The definition of the population

• Whether the population consists of

individuals, households, families or a
combination of these

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 What are the Parameters of
Interest?
• Population parameters are summary descriptors
(proportion, mean, variance) of variables of
interest in the population.

• Sample statistics are descriptors of the relevant

variables computed from sample data.

• Sample statistics are used as estimators of

population parameters
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 What is the Sampling Frame?

• The sampling frame is closely related to

the population.

• It is the list of elements from which the

sample is actually drawn.

• Ideally, it is a complete and correct list of

population members only.
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 What is the Type of Sample?
• Choosing a probability sampling technique
has several consequences.

• A researcher must follow appropriate

procedures, so that :

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 What is the Type of Sample?
• Interviewers cannot modify the selections made.

• Only those selected elements from the original

sampling frame are included.

• Substitutions are excluded except as clearly

specified and controlled according to pre-
determined decisions rules.

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 What Size Sample is Needed ?

• Some Myths
• A sample must be large or it is not
representative.

• A sample should bear some proportional

relationship to the size of the population
from which it is drawn.

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 Some principles that influence
sample size include :
• The greater the dispersion or variance within
the population, the larger the sample must be
to provide estimation precision.

• The greater the desired precision of the

estimate, the large the sample must be.

• The narrower the interval range, the larger

the sample must be.
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 Some Principles that Influence
Sample Size Include :
• The higher the confidence level in the estimate,
greater the sample size must be

• If the calculated sample size exceeds 5 percent

of the population, sample size may be reduced
without sacrificing precision.

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 How Much Will it Cost?
• Almost all studies have some budgetary
constraint, and this may encourage a
researcher to use a non-probability sample

• Probability sample surveys incur list costs for

sample frames, and other costs that are not
necessary when more haphazard or arbitrary
methods are used.

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 Probability Sampling
• Based on the concept of random selection

• A controlled procedure

• Assures that each population element is

given a known nonzero chance of
selection.

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 Non-probability Sampling
• In contrast, is arbitrary (nonrandom) and
subjective

• Allowing interviewers to choose sample

elements “at random”

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 Probability Sampling- Simple
Random Sampling
• Each element in the target population has
an equal chance or probability of being
selected in the population

• Numbers can be randomly generated by

computers or picked out of a box

• In small population random sampling is

done without replacement
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 Requisites
• Target population size is small

• Homogeneous sampling frame is defined

• Not much information is available

regarding the population

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 Advantages
• Free of classification error

• Requires minimum advance knowledge about

the population

• Elimination of human bias

• Non-dependency on the availability of the

element
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 Disadvantages
• Imperative to list every item in the population
prior to sampling

• Requires constructing very large sampling

frames

• Hence requires extensive sampling calculations

• Hence excessive costs

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 Systematic Sampling
• Selecting every kth from a sampling
frame

• K represents the skip interval

• Formula
k = population size /
Sample Size
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 Advantages
• Used in industrial operations where equipments
in the production are checked for defects

• Questioning people in a sample survey

• Necessary to select first element randomly and

then apply k

• Economical and less time consuming

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 Stratified Random Sampling
• Process of grouping members into relatively
homogenous groups before sampling

• Each element of the population must be included

in a stratum

• Strata should be exhaustive so as not to leave

any element of the population

• Then random sampling is applied within each

stratum
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Proportional Stratified sampling
• Number selected from each strata
depends on the homogeneity and std dev
of elements present in it

• Proportional Stratified sampling – A

smaller sample can be drawn out of the
stratum known to have the same value

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 Disproportionate Stratified
Sampling
• Samples can be drawn in a much higher
proportion from another stratum where
values are known to differ.

• Higher number of respondents are

required to minimise sampling errors
because of the high variability

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Advantages and Disadvantages
• Improves representativeness by reducing
sampling error

• Greater statistical efficiency over simple random

sampling

• Groups are represented when strata are

combined

• There can be errors in designating bases due to

time and cost factors
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 Multistage Cluster Sampling
• Involves grouping the population into various clusters
and then selecting a few clusters for study

• Clusters should be homogenous in nature

• Elements within each cluster should be

heterogeneous

• Cluster should be similar to the population

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 Multistage Cluster Sampling
• Suitable for studies that cover large
geographic areas

• Researcher can go for 1, 2 or multi-stage

cluster sampling

• In single stage- all elements from each

cluster are studied
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 Two Stage
• Two stage - uses random sampling to select a
few elements from each of selected clusters

• Multi-stage - selecting a sample in 2 or more

successive stages.

• Cluster / units is selected in the first stage and

further divided into clusters / units

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Non- Probability Sampling

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