Sampling Plan
Things to Discuss
• Key Terminologies
• Sampling Design Process
• Sampling Classification (Scheme)
• Different Sampling Methods
• Sample size Calculation
Population
Population
Key Terminologies
Sample
Population:
- a set which includes all measurements of interest to
the researcher (The collection of all responses,
measurements, or counts that are of
interest)
Sample:
- A subset of the population
Key Terminologies
• Study(Sampling) Population
The population to be studied/ to which the investigator wants
to generalize his results
• Sampling Unit
- smallest unit from which sample can be selected
• Sampling frame
- List of all the sampling units from which sample is drawn
• Sampling scheme
- Method of selecting sampling units from sampling frame
• Sampling fraction
- Ratio between sample size and population size
Influencing Factors
Sampling Process
• Factors that influence sample design
- Research Type
- Element Type
- Population size
- Participation (response)
- Available Resources
- Constraints/ limitations
• When might you sample the entire population?
- When your population is very small
- When you have extensive resources
- When you don't expect a very high response
Sampling Classifications
Probability Sampling Non-Probability Sampling
- Simple random sample - Convenience sample
- Systematic sample - Judgmental/ Purposive
- Stratified sample sample
- Cluster sample - Quota sample
- Multistage sample
- Snowball sample
Members are selected from the
Each member of the population has population in some nonrandom
a known non-zero probability of manner or where the probability of
being selected, and this probability selection can't be accurately
can be accurately determined. determined
Simple Random Sampling
PROBABILITY SAMPLING
• Each element in the
population has a
known and equal
probability of
selection.
Systematic Sampling
• Arranging the target
population according Population
to some ordering
scheme and then
selecting elements at
regular intervals Sample (every 3rt)
through that ordered
list.
Cluster Sampling
• Population with some
distinct categories can
be organized into
separate "stratum"
which can be sampled
as an independent
sub-population, out
of which individual
elements can be
Stratified Sampling
randomly selected.
Cluster Sampling
• Divide the population
into groups (called
clusters), randomly
select some of the
groups, and then
collect data from
ALL members of the
selected groups Cluster Population
Cluster Sampling
Multistage Sampling
Multistage Sampling
NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING
Convenience Sampling
• Convenience sampling attempts to obtain a sample of
convenient elements. Often, respondents are selected
because they happen to be in the right place at the right
time.
—use of students, and members of social organizations
—mall intercept interviews without qualifying the respondents
- department stores using charge account lists
- "people on the street" interviews
• Judgmental sampling is a form of convenience
Quota Sampling
sampling in which the population elements are
selected based on the judgment of the researcher.
— test markets
— purchase engineers selected in industrial marketing
research
— bellwether precincts selected in voting behavior research
— expert witnesses used in court
Purposive (Judgmental) Sampling
• Quota sampling may be viewed as two-stage restricted
judgmental sampling.
- The first stage consists of developing control categories, or quotas, of
population elements.
- In the second stage, sample elements are selected based on
convenience or judgment.
Population Sample
composition composition
Control
Characteristic Percentage Percentage Number
Sex
Male 48 48 480
Female 52 52 520
100 100 1000
Snowball Sampling
• In snowball sampling, an initial group of respondents is
selected, usually at random.
— After being interviewed, these respondents are asked to
identify others who belong to the target population of
interest.
- Subsequent respondents are selected based on the referrals.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Basic Sampling Techniques
Technique Strengths Weaknesses
Nonprobability Sampling Least expensive, least Selection bias, sample not
Convenience sampling time-consuming, most representative, not recommended for
convenient descriptive or causal research
Judgmental sampling Low cost, convenient, not Does not allow generalization, subjective
time-consuming
Quota sampling Sample can be controlled Selection bias, no assurance of
for certain characteristics representativeness
Snowball sampling Can estimate rare Time-consuming
characteristics
Probability sampling Easily understood, Difficult to construct sampling
Simple random sampling results projectable frame, expensive, lower precision, no
(SRS) assurance of representativeness.
Systematic sampling Can increase Can decrease representativeness
representativeness, easier to
implement than SRS,
sampling frame not
necessary
Stratified sampling Include all important Difficult to select relevant stratification
subpopulations, variables, not feasible to stratify on many
precision variables, expensive
Cluster sampling Easy to implement, cost Imprecise, difficult to compute and interpret
effective results
Errors in sample
• Systematic error (or bias)
— Inaccurate response (information bias)
- Selection bias
• Sampling error (random error)
Sample size
Few more terminologies
Confidence Level
This is the level of certainty with which you will estimate the true population value. You can select either 95% or
99%.
Population Size
This is the total number of individuals or groups about which information is required.
Proportion
This specifies the expected proportion of the population to have the attribute that you are estimating from your
survey. You can get the proportion from previous cycles of the survey or by an educated guess. If this
proportion is unknown, it should be set to 0.5 (i.e. 50%), as this produces a conservative estimate of variance.
Confidence Interval
This allows you to specify the desired level of accuracy of the estimate. The confidence interval value is
expressed as a proportion, meaning that if you want the result to be accurate within 5 percentage points, then
you should enter 0.05.
Confidence Interval: Upper and Lower
These are the upper and lower bounds of the confidence interval, as determined by the specified interval. For
example, if the proportion os 0.5 and the specified confidence Interval is 0.05, then the upper and lower
bounds will be 0.5 +/- 0.05, which gives you a confidence interval from 0.45 to 0.55.
Standard Error
This is a measure of sampling error that indicates the degree to which an estimate may vary from the true
value.
Relative Standard Error
This is the standard error expressed as a percentage of the estimate.
Sample Size
This refers to the number of individuals or groups required to respond (not just the number approached) to
achieve the required level of accuracy.
Market Research At Your Fingertips
www.lightcastledata.com
Purpose
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consumer research in real time - enabling fast decisions.
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Mar Tech - LC Data
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Incentives for Companies
Cost savings Accurate data Real time analytics
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Fast turnaround
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Incentives for Respondents
Easy money
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Feel good effect -
opinion matters
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