SAMPLING

BY
Bhaskar Banerjee
METHODS
 PROBABILITY SAMPLING
 NON- PROBABILITY SAMPLING
PROBABILITY SAMPLING
 Every unit in the sampling frame has an
equal or known chance of being
included in the sample.
( BOYD AND KRESS)

It includes
 Simple Random Sampling
 Stratified Random Sampling
 Cluster Sampling
 Systematic Sampling
 Area Sampling
SIMPLE RANDOM SAMPLING
 It is a sample generated by a process
that guarantees, in the long run, that
every possible sample of a given size
will be selected with known and equal
probability
 Eg: drawing a card from a pack of
well shuffled deck.
 Selection Method: Table of random
numbers, Lottery method
 Used to sample a universe with
following properties
 It is small
 Satisfactory list of universe items exists.
 Cost per interview is practically
independent of the location of the sample
items.
 Other than a list of items, no other
universe information is available.
Eg.- survey of members of gym in New
Delhi
PROBLEMS
 Cost
 Availability of a Current Listing of
Universe Elements
 Statistical Efficiency
 Administrative difficulty
STRATIFIED RANDOM
SAMPLING
 The universe to be sampled is divided
(or stratified) into groups that are
mutually exclusive and include all
items in the universe.
 A simple random sample is then
chosen independently from each
group or stratum.
Example
STORE SIZE NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE
STRATUM STORES OF STORES

Large stores 20,000 20

Medium
30,000 30
stores

Small stores 50,000 50

Total 1,00,000 100

Reasons for using
 Obtaining information about parts of
the universe
 Greater precision through
stratification.
How should the universe be
stratified?
 Create strata on the basis of a
variable known to be correlated with
the variable of interest, and for which
information on each universe element
is known.
 Strata should be constructed in such
a way which will minimize differences
among sampling units within strata
and maximize differences among
strata.
OBSERVATIONS IN EACH STRATUM

 PROPOTIONAL ALLOCATION.
 Sample each stratum in proportion to its
relative weight in the universe as a
whole.
 DISPROPORTIONAL ALLOCATION
 Sample institutional universes (grocery
stores, manufacturers) rather than
human universes.
 When the variability among observations
within a stratum is high, one samples
the stratum at a higher rate than for
strata with less internal variation.
LIMITATIONS
 Greater complexity of both design
and analysis.
 A separate list of items within each
stratum is required
CLUSTER SAMPLING
 Sampling methods in which universe
elements are chosen in groups
 Widely used in sampling of human
populations
Example

BLOCK HOUSES

1 X1,X2,X3,X4

2 X5,X6,X7,X8

3 X9,X10,X11,X12

4 X13,X14,X15,X16
COMPARISION WITH SIMPLE RANDOM
SAMPLING
 More or less statistically efficient than
simple random sampling.
 Depends upon the degree of intracluster
heterogeneity obtained
 Lower relative cost of obtaining
observations
TYPES
 SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING
 AREA SAMPLING
SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING
 Most widely used form of cluster
sampling
Example
 To study students’
opinion towards SAMPLE IDENTIFICATION

food provided in
canteen, the 1 1,6,11…96
researcher decides
to sample 20 2 2,7,12…97
students out of
100.
3 3,8,13…98
 One method
 Draw a random
number between 1 4 4,9,14…99
to 5.
 Possible samples 5 5,10.…100
SELECTING A SYSTEMATIC SAMPLE

 Sampling interval=
Number of universe items
Desired sample size

 Select a random figure between 1

and the sampling interval figure.
This identifies the first element on the
universe list to be included in the
sample.
SELECTING A SYSTEMATIC SAMPLE

 Add the sampling interval to the

random number selected in Step 2.
The total represents the second
element on the universe list to be
included in the sample.
 Continue adding the sample interval
to each total to create a new total.
Each new total represents another
element on the universe list to be
included in the sample.
ADVANTAGES
 Simplicity.
 Faster technique than systematic
sampling.
 Less subject to error than simple
random sampling.
DISADVANTAGES
 Requires an assumption about the
order of the items on the list
 It can pose problems if the sampling
interval is a whole no. multiple of
some cycle related to the variable
being measured
 Eg weekly sales cycle in retail store,
cannot sample retail sales every 7th day ,
every 14th day and so on
AREA SAMPLING
 Samples items are clustered on a
geographic area basis
 No current and accurate list of
universe elements
 eg: To measure sale of soap in retail
stores, choose a sample of markets
and then audit soap sales of all retail
outlets in these markets.
APPLICATION
 Used where very high quality data is
required but no list of universe items
exists.
 Practical execution is highly complex
DISADVANTAGES
 Expensive
 Time consuming
 For best results, substantial
information (detailed maps, statistical
data by areas) is needed and expert
statistical council is required.
NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING
 Any sampling method in which the
chance of choosing a particular
universe element is unknown.
 Types:
 Convenience Sampling
 Judgment Sampling
 Quota Sampling
CONVENIENCE SAMPLING
 In which sample is chosen purely for
expedience
 Items are selected because they are
easy or cheap to find or measure
 Eg: monitoring price trends in a near
by grocery shop with the object of
inferring national price measurement.
 Responses given by “convenient”
items in a universe differ significantly
from the responses given by universe
items that are less accessible.
APPLICATION
 Used when there is very little
information available about a subject.

LIMITATION
Cannot be used if the universe items are
large and scattered.
JUDGEMENT SAMPLING
 Is selection of universe items by
mean of expert judgment
 Specialists in the subject matter of
the survey choose what they believe
to be the best sample for that
particular study.
 Eg: Sales managers might select the
sample of grocery store in a city they
regarded as representative
APPLICATION
 May be used when the total sample
size is extremely small

LIMITATION
 This approach has been found
empirically to produce unsatisfactory
results.
QUOTA SAMPLING
 Is most widely used in consumer
survey
 Uses principle of stratification
 The researcher begins by
constructing strata
 Sample sizes (called quota) are
established for each stratum
 The sampling within strata may be
proportional or disproportional
Example

STRATUM QUOTA

Men, 18-34 50

Men, 35-49 50

Women, 18-34 100

Women, 35-49 100

ADVANTAGES
 Relatively low cost
 Relatively high speed of execution
 Superior to ordinary convenience
sampling or judgment sampling
because it uses the principle of
stratification.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRATIFIED
SAMPLING AND QUOTA SAMPLING
 With stratified random sampling, the
process is objective, based on
random identification of respondents.
In quota sampling, the process is
subjective being done by field
workers using what amounts to
convenience sampling.
SPECIAL FORMS OF
NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING
 GROUP INTERVIEW SAMPLE
 SHOPPING MALL INTERCEPT SAMPLE
GROUP INTERVIEW SAMPLE
 Used in focus group studies
 A “group” is usually a quota sample
of 5-10 consumers assembled for a 1-
2 hour joint interview by a person
specially trained in group dynamics
 The no of groups used is often small
 They are expensive
 Information obtained from each group is
highly unstructured
SHOPPING MALL INTERCEPT SAMPLE

 Respondents are recruited for individual

interviews (using assigned “quotas”) at
fixed locations in shopping malls.
 Common to use several malls, each
serving different socioeconomic
populations, in each of several cities.
 Eg: compare TV commercials
 Speed and economy relative to a
probability sample of personal
interviews