sampling techniques Flashcards
what is a sample
the people the sociologists actually study in their research
what is random sampling
sample is selected purely at random
what is systematic / quasi-random sampling
where you select every nth name on the list which will cover the whole list (eg young and willmott used every thirty sixth name on the electoral register)
advantages of random and systematic sampling
- ensures every individual has equal chance of being selected
- quick and easy to carry out
disadvantages of random sampling techniques
- could be unrepresentative eg by chance more males than females
- requires accurate, up-to-date and complete sampling frame
what is stratified random sampling
the total population is divided into smaller groups to be representative
advantages of stratified sampling
- ensures control of variables such as age, and sex that are important to the research
- can increase precisions and so improve representative of your sample as it more closely matches general population
disadvantages of stratified sampling
- complex and time-consuming
- sampling frame may not contain the requires information to split sample-population into groups
- your values and views on society might influence your choice of stratification this introducing bias into the sampling process
what is cluster sampling
the entire population is divided into groups (clusters) and a random sample of these clusters is selected
all observation in the selected clusters are included in the sample
advantages of cluster sampling
- useful if a complete list of the population is unavailable, but you can get a complete list of groups or ‘clusters’ of the population
- cheaper than random sample if the list of subjects is widely scattered
disadvantages of cluster sampling
- could be unrepresentative as the clusters may not accurately reflect the general population
what are random sampling
random
systematic
stratified
cluster
what is quota sampling
the researcher tries to find a specific number of a particular type of person
