Sampling Process

Prof. (Dr.) C.K.Dash

HOW GOOD MUST THE SAMPLE BE?

There is no uniform standard of quality that must be reached by every sample. The quality of the sample depends entirely on the stage of the research and how the information will be used.

Sample Design
A sample is a some part of large body specially selected to represent the whole (Warwick and Linenger)

Census Vs. Sample

No sampling Error Complete information on every individual and individual item is collected Cost is very high Organizing the census method is a difficult process, Result may not be fully reliable Time
Money & Time is saved It requires small no of staffs to administer. Staffs should be properly trained to obtain accurate results, Chances of bias due to wrong selection of sampling method. Impossible to adopt when the population is heterogeneous

Stages in the Selection of a Sample

Define the target Population Select a sampling frame

Determine if probability or non-probability sampling will be chosen

Plan procedures for selecting sampling units

Determine sample size Select actual sampling units Conduct field work

The Sampling Process

Step1: Define the population:
Element: Purchasing Agents Sampling Unit: Companies and governmental agencies that have brought any of our products, Extent: Bought any of our product Time: in the last three years.

Specify the sampling Frame

A sampling frame is a means of representing the elements of the population. A sampling frame may be telephone book, a city directory, an employee roster, list of all students attending an institution or university,

Step3: Specify Sampling Unit

The sampling units is the basic unit containing the elements of the population to be sampled. It may be the element itself or a unit in which the element is contained.

4. Selection of Sampling Method

TWO TYPES OF SAMPLING

PROBABILITY SAMPLING NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING

PROBABILITY SAMPLING
SIMPLE RANDOM SAMPLE SYSTEMATIC RANDOM SAMPLE STRATIFIED SAMPLE CLUSTER SAMPLE MULTISTAGE RANDOM SAMPLE

NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING
CONVENIENCE JUDGMENT QUOTA SNOWBALL

SIMPLE RANDOM SAMPLE

A sampling procedure that ensures that each element in the population will have an equal chance of being included in the sample.

SIMPLE RANDOM SAMPLE

A sampling procedure that ensures that each element in the population will have an equal chance of being included in the sample.

SYSTEMATIC RANDOM SAMPLE

Identify the total number of elements in the population Identify the sampling ratio K/n (K=total population size/n=size of desired sample) identify the random start. Draw a sample by choosing every kth entry

EXAMPLE OF SYSTEMATIC RANDOM SAMPLE

STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE

Sub-samples are drawn within different strata. Each stratum in more or less equal on some characteristics.

REASONS FOR STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE

Make a sample more efficient since variance differs between the strata. Reduce sampling error between strata. Reduce number of cases required in order to achieve a given degree of accuracy.

TYPES OF STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE

Proportionate Stratified Random Sample Disproportionate Stratified Random Sample

PROPORTIONATE STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE

It is used to get a more representative sample than might be expected under SRS. Reduces sampling errors between strata with respect to the relative numbers selected. This is true when we have homogeneous groups. Population strata must be known in order to draw a proportionate stratified sample.

DISPROPORTIONATE STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE

It is used to manipulate the number of cases selected in order to improve efficiency of the design. The main interest is to study separate subpopulations represented by the strata rather than on the entire population

CONVIENCE SAMPLING
Obtaining a sample of people or units that are most convenient.

JUDGMENT SAMPLING
Selecting a sample based on judgment of an individual about some appropriate characteristics required from the sample member.

QUOTA SAMPLING
Requires that the various subgroups in a population are represented . It should not be confused with stratified sampling.

SNOWBALL SAMPLING
Requires additional respondents are obtained from information provided by the initial sample of respondents.

JUDGMENT SAMPLING
Selecting a sample based on judgment of an individual about some is appropriate.

WEIGHTING THE SAMPLE

Reason for weighting correct Reason for weighting is is to to correct problems associated sample problems associated with with sample bias (sampling andnon-sampling non-sampling ).). bias (sampling and Known Sampling as Known Samplingbiases, biases, such such as household selectedby by random random digit household selected digit dialing will havemore more than than one dialing will have one phone number. phone number.

WEIGHTING PROCESS
Assign a weight that is equal to the inverse of its probability of selection. In this case, where all sample elements have had the same chance of selection, given the same weight: 1. (This is called self-weighting sample)

WEIGHTING EXAMPLE
Unweighted Sample
Nonwhite White Total

Expected Sample (Based on Population)

Nonwhite White Total

Female Male Total

12.3% 9.8% 22%

56.7% 21.2% 78%

69% 31% 100%

7.2% 3.8% 11%

57.7% 31.2% 89%

65% 35% 100%

Nonwhite Female weight =7.2/12.3=0.59 Nonwhite Male weight =3.8/9.8=0.39 White Female weight = 57.7/56.7=1.02 White Male weight = 31.2/21.2=1.47

Computation (Estimates of Means, and standard Errors) for Stratified Sample

Compute values for each strata and then weight them based on the relative size of the stratum in the population.

TYPES OF CLUSTER SAMPLING

Single -Stage Cluster sampling--Divide population into several hundred census tracts and then select 40 tracts as a sample. Then select every individuals within selected census tracts. Multistage Cluster Sampling--Take a random sample of census tracts within a city. Then within each selected census tract we take a simple random sample of blocks (smaller clusters). Finally we might select every third house and interview every second adult within each of these households

CLUSTER SAMPLING Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS)

Arrange clusters in a desire order (not necessarily by size) Obtain the size data Sum up the size measures over clusters Determine sampling interval Select a random start

Difference Between Cluster Sampling and Stratified Sampling

Although both types of sample involve divide population into groups, they involve in a opposite sampling operations. In a stratified sample, we sample individuals within every stratum. The sampling errors involve variability within strata. Strata are supposed to be homogeneous as possible and as different as possible from each other. In (single-stage ) cluster sampling, we have no source of sampling error within the clusters because every case is being used. The variability is between the clusters.

Difference Between Cluster Sampling and Simple Random Sample

Cluster sample is less efficient than the simple random samples of the same size. But it may cost considerably less. The efficiency can be measured in terms of the size of standard error of estimate, a small standard error indicates high efficiency.

MUTI-STAGE CLUSTER SAMPLING

Stratification techniques within the clusters will be used to refine and improve the sample. Examples of this kind of sampling Census, National Safety Belt Survey.

Step5. Determination of the Sample size

Cost vs. Value of Information, Realities of sample economics,

Specify Sampling Plan

The sampling plan involves the specification of how each of the decisions made thus far is to be implemented. It may have been decided that the household will be element and the block the sampling unit.

STEPS IN DETERMINING SAMPLE SIZE

Importance of the research or the gains and losses associated with alternative decisions Previous example of sample sizes used in social sciences Confidence Level to be used Degree of accuracy within which we wish to estimate the parameter. Some reasonable estimate of the values of any parameters that may appear in the formula.

Sample Size Determination

Methods of Determining Sample Size:
Unaided Judgment All-you-can-Afford, Average size for samples for similar studies Required size per cell Use of a traditional statistical model Use of a Bayesian statistical model

Required size per cell

This method of determining sample size can be used on simple random, stratified random, purposive, and quota samples.
Occupational group: Blue collar, white collar, managerial professional, Age group: 12-17,18-24, 35-44, 45 & above

Use of a Traditional Statistical Model

Formula varies depending upon the type of sample to be taken
An estimate of the variance in the population from which the sample is to be drawn The error from sampling that the researcher will allow The desired level of confidence the actual sampling error will be within the allowable limits.

Use of a Bayesian Statistical Model

The Bayesian involves finding the difference between expected value of the information to be provided by the sample and the cost of taking the sample for each potential sample size. This difference is known as the expected net gain from sampling (ENGS). The sample size with the largest positive ENGS is chosen.