Sampling Flashcards
Define ‘Sample’
A group of people who are selected to represent the wider population.
Define ‘population’.
The total number of people in a particular group/area.
Define ‘target population’.
The group of people from which a sample is drawn to represent them in as many ways as possible.
Define ‘census research’.
Studying every member of a target population.
Define ‘sampling frame’.
A list of all members of the population that a researcher is studying.
Why do sociologists use sampling methods?
Because it is impractical to talk to everyone so a group of people are selected to represent the rest.
Why might access to groups related to a sample?
It can be more difficult to acquire a certain type of group due to topics of research or the nature of that population.
Define ‘gatekeepers’, giving an example.
People who control whether researchers can have access to ppts (e.g. managers at a care home giving access to residents).
Define ‘random sampling’.
Selecting a number of people from a population where every member has a predetermined probability of being selected.
Give 2 strengths of random sampling.
1) Representative because everyone has the same chance of being selected
2) Easy and doesn’t take long to do
Give 2 weaknesses of random sampling.
1) Requires a complete, up-to-date sampling frame
2) It May not be completely representative as multiple people may be randomly selected from one category whereas only one from another
Define ‘stratified sampling’.
Randomly selecting a set number of people from separate categories (strata) of a target population.
Give 2 strengths of stratified sampling.
1) More representative than random as every category is guaranteed to be represented
2) Doesn’t have a sample selection bias
Give 2 weaknesses of stratified sampling.
) Takes time to establish separate categories and a sampling frame of everyone within them
2) Can lead to a limited sample
