Lesson 29: Planning an Investigation: Research Design, Sampling, and Ethical Considerations

SAMPLING STRATEGIES AND RESEARCH ETHICS1

Norpo’latova Maftuna
2007

Exercise 1: Vocabulary Matching

Match the following terms related to sampling strategies and research ethics with their definitions.

1. Non-probability sampling e a. The process of selecting a subset of individuals or data from a

2. Probability sampling d larger population for research purposes.

3. Under-sized sample g b. The number of units (people, organizations, data) included in a

4. Sample size b sample.

5. Over-sized sample
6. Sampling techniques
7. Gatekeepers
c. Individuals or entities that control access to participants and can
f
influence their participation in research.
a d. A sampling method that involves randomly selecting participants
from a known population.
c e. A sampling method that involves purposefully selecting
participants based on specific criteria or characteristics.
f. A sample that includes more units than necessary to answer
research questions.
g. A sample that lacks sufficient units to answer research questions
adequately.

Exercise 2: Ethical Dilemmas

Read the following scenarios and answer the questions that follow.
Scenario 1:
A researcher wants to study the impact of a new teaching method on student performance. The researcher selects
a convenience sample of students from their own class because it is easily accessible. However, they unintentionally
exclude students who are academically weak or have special educational needs.
1. What is the sampling technique used in this scenario?
2. What ethical issues might arise from this sampling technique?
3. How could the researcher address these ethical concerns?

Scenario 2:
A researcher plans to conduct a survey on teachers' job satisfaction in a school. However, the school
administration only allows access to teachers who are favorable towards the administration. The researcher is
concerned that this may bias the survey results.

1
 1. What ethical issue is present in this scenario?
2. How might the gatekeepers influence the survey results?
3. What steps could the researcher take to mitigate this ethical concern?
Scenario 1:
Sampling technique: Convenience sampling
Ethical issues: Unintentional exclusion of academically weak or special needs students
Addressing ethical concerns: Use a different sampling technique, such as stratified sampling, to ensure a more
representative sample.

Scenario 2:
Ethical issue: Potential bias in survey results due to gatekeepers only allowing access to favorable teachers
Influence of gatekeepers: Only allowing access to certain teachers may skew the survey results in favor of the
administration.
Mitigating ethical concern: Seek approval from a higher authority, such as the school board, to ensure access to a
more representative sample of teachers.

Exercise 3: Discussion and Reflection

Discuss the following questions with a partner or in small groups, and share your thoughts with the class.

1. Why is it important to consider ethical issues in sampling strategies for research?

2. What are some potential consequences of using an over-sized sample in research?
3. How can under-sized samples impact the validity and reliability of research findings?
4. In your opinion, what responsibilities do researchers have when it comes to obtaining informed consent from
participants?
5. How can researchers ensure the representativeness of their samples while maintaining ethical standards?
Discussing the importance of ethical issues in sampling strategies for research, potential consequences of using
an over-sized sample, the impact of under-sized samples on research findings' validity and reliability, researchers'
responsibilities in obtaining informed consent from participants, and ways to ensure sample representativeness while
maintaining ethical standards can foster a deeper understanding of research ethics and its impact on the quality of
research.