Statistics - Data Collection Flashcards
Population - definition
The whole set of items that are of interest
What is a census?
A method of data collection that observes or measures every member of a population
Sample - definition
A selection of observations taken from a subset of the population which is used to find out information about the population as a whole
Sampling units - definition
Individual units of a population
What is a sampling frame?
A list of sampling units - they have often been numbered or individually named first
What is a simple random sample?
A method of sampling where everyone in population has an equal, random chance of being selected
What is systematic sampling?
A method of sampling where samples are chosen at regular intervals from an ordered list
What is stratified sampling?
A method of sampling where the population is divided into mutually exclusive strata and a random sample is taken from each
What is quota sampling?
A method of sampling where an interviewer or researcher selects a sample that is representative of the whole population
What is opportunity sampling?
A method of sampling where samples are taken from people who are available at the time of the study and who fit the criteria you are looking for
What are quantitative variables/qualitative data?
Variables or data associated with numerical observations
What are qualitative variables/qualitative data?
Variables or data associated with non-numerical observations
What is a continuous variable?
A variable that can take any value in a given range
What is a discrete variable?
A variable that can only take specific values in a given range
What are classes?
Groups of data in grouped frequency tables where specific data is not shown
