What is a probabilistic sample?

For market research, surveys and opinion polls to be effective, it is necessary that a specific
audience is selected. In this selection it is possible that there is interference or not from the
interviewer, thus differentiating the probabilistic and non-probabilistic samples.

Probabilistic sample is one in which all individuals in the universe have an equal chance to
answer the survey, that is, fixed probability and greater than zero.

This method seeks the interviewer's impartiality in the search for his interviewees. We have as an
example the surveys carried out in households that are randomly selected, not leaving the choice
in the hands of the interviewer.

In order to be effective, if the probabilistic sample is a prerequisite, a list of all individuals in the
universe to be researched. In some types of research it may be easy to obtain this list, such as a
contact list of a company from data collection at the time of purchase or customer registration for
a hotel or club. However, it may be difficult to obtain this data in some situations, such as an
updated list of all voters in a region.

What is a non-probabilistic sample?

It is often not possible to obtain a list of the universe to be searched. This is the case, for
example, for all inhabitants of a city, or for consumers of a certain product.

It is in situations like these, that we realize that it becomes almost impossible to obtain a 100%
probabilistic method, as it does not have a complete and updated list of the study population.

Thus, the non-probabilistic sample is one in which the collection is based on previously defined
criteria, in which not everyone in the universe has the same chance of being interviewed, but in
the end the fieldwork results are representative and subject to extrapolation.

An example of applying a non-probabilistic sample is election polls. In this type of survey, the
most common procedure is sampling by quotas, in which the interviews are based on a profile
already known to the population.

Types of probabilistic and non-probabilistic sampling

Probabilistic

 Simple Random Sample

 Systematic Sample

 Stratified Sample

 Sample by Conglomerate
Non-Probabilistic

 Sample for convenience

 Trial sample

 Sample by quotas

 Snowball sample

 Disproportionate sample