Sampling means the process of selecting a part of the

population.

A population is a group of people that is studied in a

research.

The research selects a part of the population for his/her

study, rather than studying the whole population. This
process is known as sampling.

The reliability of the findings of a research depends upon

how well you select the sample. A sample should be a true
representative of the whole population. It should include
persons from various sections and spheres of the population
in order to become a true representative of the population.

Relevant terminologies:

1. Sample: The selected part of the population is known as a

sample.
2. Sample Size: The number of people in the selected sample
is known as sample size.
3. Sampling Frame: The list of individual or people included
in the same. It reflects who will be included in the sample.
For making a sample frame, the researcher has to make a list
of names and details of all the items of the sample.
4. Sampling Technique: It refers to the technique or
procedure used to select the members of the sample. There
are various types of sampling techniques.

TYPES OF SAMPLING

Probability Sampling – is a sampling technique wherein the

samples are gathered in a process that gives all the
individuals in the population equal chances of being selected.

The types of probability sampling are explained below:

Simple Random Sampling

Simple random sampling is the easiest form of probability
sampling. All the researcher needs to do is assure that all the
members of the population are included in the list and then
randomly select the desired number of subjects.
There are a lot of methods to do this. It can be as mechanical
as picking strips of paper with names written on it from a hat
while the researcher is blindfolded or it can be as easy as
using a computer software to do the random selection for
you.

Stratified Random Sampling

Stratified ramdon sampling is also known as proportional
random sampling. This is a probability sampling technique
wherein the subjects are initially grouped into different
classifications such as age, socioeconomic status or gender.
Then, the researcher randomly selects the final list of
subjects from the different strata. It is important to note that
all the strata must have no overlaps.

Researchers usually use stratified random sampling if they

want to study a particular subgroup within the population. It
is also preferred over the simple random sampling because it
warrants more precise statistical outcomes.

Systematic Random Sampling

Systematic random sampling can be likened to an arithmetic
progression wherein the difference between any two
consecutive numbers is the same. Say for example you are in
a clinic and you have 100 patients.
1.The first thing you do is pick an integer that is less than
the total number of the population; this will be your first
subject e.g. (3).
2.Select another integer which will be the number of
individuals between subjects e.g. (5).
3.You subjects will be patients 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, and so on.
There is no clear advantage when using this technique.

Cluster Random Sampling

Cluster random sampling is done when simple random
sampling is almost impossible because of the size of the
population. Just imagine doing a simple random sampling
when the population in question is the entire population of
Asia.
1.In cluster sampling, the research first identifies
boundaries, in case of our example; it can be countries
within Asia.
2.The researcher randomly selects a number of identified
areas. It is important that all areas (countries) within the
population be given equal chances of being selected.
3.The researcher can either include all the individuals
within the selected areas or he can randomly select
subjects from the identified areas.
Mixed/Multi-Stage Random Sampling
This probability sampling technique involves a combination
of two or more sampling techniques enumerated above. In
most of the complex researches done in the field or in the
lab, it is not suited to use just a single type of probability
sampling.

Most of the researches are done in different stages with each

stage applying a different random sampling technique.
Non-probability Sampling - is a sampling technique in which
the researcher selects samples based on the subjective
judgment of the researcher rather than random selection.

The types of non-probability sampling are explained below:

Convenience Sampling
Convenience sampling is a non-probability sampling
technique where samples are selected from the population
only because they are conveniently available to researcher.
These samples are selected only because they are easy to
recruit and researcher did not consider selecting sample that
represents the entire population.

Quota Sampling
In this type of sampling, the members are selected according
to some specific characteristics chosen by the researcher.
These specific characteristics serve as a quota for selection of
members of the sample. Hence, the members are selected
on the basis of these specific characteristics such as age,
religion, profession, ethnicity, interest and so on.
Judgmental or Purposive Sampling
In judgmental sampling the samples are selected based
purely on researcher’s knowledge and credibility. In other
words, researchers choose only those who he feels are a
right fit (with respect to attributes and representation of a
population) to participate in research study.
Snowball Sampling
Snowball sampling helps researchers find sample when they
are difficult to locate. Researchers use this technique when
the sample size is small and not easily available. This
sampling system works like the referral program. Once the
researchers find suitable subjects, they are asked for
assistance to seek similar subjects to form a considerably
good size sample.

Various Ways of Collecting Quantitative Data

 Open source datasets – are raw data that you could get
from government offices, research institutes, research
repositories, or university portals.
 Personal Survey – a type of research instrument that
asks respondents personal questions, which you then
try to aggregate.
 Attitudinal or behavioral survey – usually in the form of
a Likert scale, is designed to ask the respondent to
select from a set number of choices their preference or
the approximation of their behavior. Example:

I am confident in my writing skills:

Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree