Population is the group you want to generalize.

It consists of all the members of

the group you are interested in. Sample is the subset from the population you want to
examine. A population commonly contains too many individuals to study conveniently
and practically, so an investigation is often restricted to one or more samples drawn
from it. A well-chosen sample will contain most of the information about a particular
population parameter but the relation between the sample and the population must be
such as to allow true inferences to be made about a population from that sample.

Sampling is a process used in statistical analysis in which a predetermined

number of observations are taken from a larger population. There are various sampling
methods that allow all the units in the population to have an equal chance of being
selected. These sampling methods are discussed below.

1. Simple Random Sampling

Each element of the population has an equal chance of being selected. There
are no rules that dictate where and how you will start the selection process, as
long as you do not intentionally look for a specific number. In this method, the
samples can be selected through:

a. Lottery Method
Every member is assigned a unique number. These numbers are put in a
jar and thoroughly mixed. After that, the researcher picks some numbers
without looking at them, and those individuals whose assigned numbers are
picked are included in the study.

b. Use of Table of Random Numbers

This table consists of a series of digits (0-9) that are generated randomly.
The numbers are arranged in rows and columns and can be read in any
direction. All the digits are equally probable.

To determine the desired number of samples needed given a certain

population, there are different formulas that can be used, one of which is the Slovin’s
Formula.

N
Slovin’s Formula: n= 2
1+ N e
where:

n=¿ sample size

e=¿ margin of error,

N=¿ population size

Example: n=? ; e=¿ 0.05; N=¿ 1000

N
n= 2
1+ N e

1000
n= 2
1+1000 (0.05)

1000
n=
1000 (0.0025)

1000
n= ≈ 286 (sample size)
3 .5

1. Systematic Random Sampling

This can be done by listing all the elements in the population and selecting
every k th element in your population list. This is equally precise as the simple
random sampling. It is often used on long population lists. To determine the
interval to be used in identifying the samples to who will participate in the study,
N
use the formula K= (population/sample size).
n
Example:

N
If Population (N) = 2000, sample size (n) = 500, K = , so k = 2000/500 = 4th. Use a
n
table of random numbers to determine the starting point for selecting every 4th
subject. With the list of the 2000 subjects in the sampling frame, go to the starting
point, and select every 4th name on the list until the sample size is reached. You will
probably have to return to the beginning of the list to complete the selection of the
sample.

2. Stratified Random Sampling

This can be done by first dividing the elements in the population into strata
and then samples are randomly selected from each stratum ensuring that each
selected element is proportionately represented in the total population. Sampling
fraction: n/N (desired sample size divided by the population size)

Example:

You want to interview 400 students in your school. The school has a population of
1000 students with 500 from grade school, 300 from high school, and 200 from senior
high school. How are you going to choose your samples using stratified sampling?

Solution: To get the samples from each stratum, divide 400 by 1000 and the answer
is 0.4. Multiply 0.4 to each of the number of students per stratum (e.g., 0.4 x 500
grade school is 200).

Stratum Populatio Sample

n

Grade school 500 200

Junior High School 300 120

Senior High School 200 80

Total 1000 400

 3. Clustered Sampling
A multistage sampling method adopted when it is either impossible or
impractical to compile an exhaustive list of elements found in the target population.
The whole population is subdivided into clusters, or groups, and random samples
are then collected from each group.

Example:
A researcher wants to survey about the academic performance of high school
students in the municipality of Alubijid. He can divide the entire population into
different clusters (barangays). Then, the researcher will select a number
of barangays depending on his research through simple or systematic
random sampling. The researcher could draw random samples from the selected
barangays through simple random sampling or take them all.

More examples are given below.

Simple Random Sampling

In a recent research that was conducted in a private school, the subjects of the study were selected
using the Table of Random Numbers.

Stratified Sampling
A teacher who is conducting a research on the effects of using mobile phones in teaching English
decided to divide her students into male and female and then she selected students from each gender
group.

Systematic Sampling
The school office personnel gave the researcher a list of 2000 Grade 10 students. The researcher
selected every 25th name on the list.

Cluster Sampling
A researcher surveyed all dengue patients in each of the 10 randomly selected hospitals in Misamis
Oriental.

Activity:
Identify the type of random sampling technique used by the researcher in each situation.

1. A researcher chose the participants of his study by selecting every 8 th member of the
population. ____________________________________________________
2. A researcher interviewed all the teachers in each of 15 randomly selected private
schools in Cagayan de Oro City. ______________________________________
3. A researcher interviewed people from each barangay in the municipality of Alubijid
for his research on population. ________________________________________
4. A researcher is doing a study on the students’ reaction to the newly implemented
curriculum in Mathematics and interviewed every 5 th student entering the gate of the
school. _______________________________________________________
5. A researcher randomly selected 15 barangays in a town for her study. She did this
by writing the names of each barangay on a piece of paper which she folded and put
in a bowl then she draws 15 pieces of paper from the bowl.
________________________________________________________________
6. A researcher selected a sample of n=300 from a population of 900 by using the
Table of Random Numbers. __________________________________________
7. A researcher interviewed all the nurses in each of the 5 randomly selected private
hospitals in Northern Mindanao. _______________________________________
8. A statistician selected a sample of n=500 high school students from a private school
with 2,500 students. He randomly selected the students from each grade level.
____________________________________________________________
9. A Statistics student did a research on the time spent by Grade 11 and 12 students in
playing Mobile Legends. He randomly selected his subjects by using the Table of
Random Numbers. _______________________________________________
10. A teacher conducted a study in her school to determine who were better in
mathematics: the males or the females. _________________________________