Sampling Methods

Question 1

What’s purposive sampling?

Answer 1

A way of seeking out a certain number of people who fulfill a requirement for the study. the researcher will actively recruit people into the required category.

Question 2

Whats snowball sampling?

Answer 2

It begins with a small sample and then the researcher asks each participant to recommend others to take part. this does not provide a statistically representative sample but may be useful when recruiting a sample which is difficult to identify without specialist knowledge.

Question 3

Whats Random Sampling?

Answer 3

Its a way of picking participants from the whole population by using a randomising technique like picking names out of a hat.

Question 4

Whats Quota sampling?

Answer 4

Makes certain that the main characteristics of the population are included in the sample in the right proportions.

Question 5

Whats opportunity sampling?

Answer 5

Uses an easily accessible sample of people. Although the sample is not representative of the whole population, it may be a useful method for a pilot study or for student research.

Question 6

What does a sample have to be in order to generalise a sociologists findings?

Answer 6

Representative

Question 7

What’s a survey population?

Answer 7

The whole group that you want to study

Question 8

What is a sample?

Answer 8

A group selected from the target population to take part in a study

Question 9

What is a sampling frame?

Answer 9

A list of individuals sampling units from which a sample is drawn eg the electoral role

Question 10

What are 5 factors of a good sampling frame?

Answer 10

1. Complete , covering all the population concerned. 2 Without duplicates. 3. Accurate 4. Upto date 5. All in one place

Question 11

How did Young and Wilmott conduct their study on the decline of the extended family?

Answer 11

They used a sampling frame of the electoral register. They had to make sure it was complete and up to date or their research wouldn’t have been representative of their target population

Question 12

What’s stratified random sampling?

Answer 12

The division of a population into smaller groups based on specific characteristics.

Question 13

What are 2 strengths of random sampling?

Answer 13

It reduced bias from the researcher and if the sample is large it can be representative.

Question 14

What is a weakness of random sampling?

Answer 14

It might not be fully representative

Question 15

What is a strength of stratified sampling?

Answer 15

It is representative and allows for general results from small samples.

Question 16

What is a weakness of stratified sampling?

Answer 16

There’s alot of information needed about the population to split them into smaller groups.

Question 17

What are 2 strengths of Quota sampling?

Answer 17

1. It is easier to find people because you know what your looking for. 2. The participants volunteer.

Question 18

What’s a limitation of quota sampling?

Answer 18

It is limited by the bias of the researcher.

Question 19

What is a strength of purposive sampling?

Answer 19

enables researchers to explore the depth and breadth of a phenomenon by selecting participants or cases with different experiences, perspectives, or insights

Question 20

What’s a weakness of purposive sampling?

Answer 20

the sample size may not be large enough to generalize the findings to the entire population.

Question 21

What’s the difference between purposive and quota sampling?

Answer 21

Purposive sampling would seek out people that have each of those attributes. Quota sampling takes purposive sampling one step further by identifying categories that are important to the study and for which there is likely to be some variation.

Question 22

What’s 2 strengths of snowball sampling?

Answer 22

1. It allows for access to difficult to access groups such as gangs. 2. McMamanara was able to use this when researching male prostitutes.

Question 23

What are 2 weakness of snowball sampling?

Answer 23

1. It’s hard to generalise. 2. It’s hard to repeat with other researchers so lacks validity

Question 24

What is a strength of opportunity sampling?

Answer 24

It’s practical and fast.

Question 25

Whats a weakness of opportunity sampling?

Answer 25

It may not be representative

Question 26

What is opportunity sampling?

Answer 26

where a researcher selects participants based on their availability. O