sampling Flashcards
What are some representative sampling examples?
simple random
stratified random
systematic
quota
what is a sampling frame?
group that the researcher selects their participants from
What is random sampling?
everyone in the target population has an equal chance of being picked e.g names in a hat
What are some strengths of random sampling?
-unbiased everyone has an equal chance of being selected
-only method which is entirely fair
What are some weaknesses of random sampling?
-almost impossible to carry out unless the target population is very small
-The sample may not be balanced in relation to class or gender
What is stratified sampling?
classifying the population into catagories and then randomly selecting participants within each catagory
What are strengths of random sampling?
-avoids over-representation of one catagory e.g too many males
-the sample should be highly representative of the target population
-results will be generalisable
What are some weaknesses of stratified sampling?
-it takes more time or resources
-some people may not fit the strata so can’t be catagorised
What is systematic sampling?
This is when a system is put in place to select every nth participant from the sampling frame e.g every 5th person
What are some strengths of systematic sampling?
-easy once sampling frame is decided
-no bias selection as this method offers a representative sample
What are some weaknesses of systematic sampling?
-Bias may be present e.g if every 5th person was male, you would only have males in your sample
-its also time consuming and costly
What is quota sampling?
researcher aims to represent the major characteristics of a population by sampling a proportional amount of each
What are some strengths of quota sampling?
-relatively easy to administer
-can be performed quickly
-cost-effective
What are some weaknesses of quota sampling?
-selection bias can result in a sample that doesn’t represent the population
What is volunteer sampling?
-participate in a study because they volunteer
What are strengths of volunteer sampling?
-participants are willing
-access to a variety of participants
What are weaknesses of volunteer sampling?
-sample might be biased as similar types of people may volunteer
-not enough people may volunteer
What is opportunity sampling?
-convinence sampling
-the sample is made up of those who are readily available, willing to take part in and are suitable for the research aim
What are strengths of opportunity sampling?
-Quickest and easiest sampling technique
What are weaknesses of opportunity sampling?
-not representative, the same type of people might be available at the time
What is snowball sampling?
-researchers rely on a gatekeeper to access a group
-the gatekeeper introduces them to a group and the sample gets bigger
What are the strengths of snowball sampling?
-low cost the researcher is not spending time and money trying to find the participants, they come to them
-can access hard to reach groups
what are the weaknesses of snowball sampling?
-it may create a sample where people share similar traits and behaviour characteristics leading to sampling bias
-the researcher has little control over the sampling metho
