Sampling: Design &

Procedures
 Sample Vs. Census
• Population: The aggregate of all the elements, sharing some common set of
characteristics, that comprises the universe for the study
Eg. All the college students of Rohtak
• Census: A complete enumeration of the elements of a population or study
objects.
• Sample: A sub-group of the elements of the population
Eg. Students of IIM Rohtak
 Conditions for the use of Sample Vs. Census
Blank Conditions Favoring the Use of Blank
Blank Sample Census
1. Budget Small Large
2. Time available Short Long
3. Population size Large Consumer Goods Small Industrial Goods
4. Variance in the characteristic Small Pepsi inspection Large Honda inspection
5. Cost of sampling errors Low High
6. Cost of non-sampling errors High Low
7. Nature of measurement Destructive Drug trial Nondestructive
8. Attention to individual cases Yes No
The Sampling Design Process
Define the Target Population
The target population is the collection of elements or objects that possess the
information sought by the researcher and about which inferences are to be
made. The target population should be defined in terms of elements, sampling
units, extent, and time.
• An element is the object about which or from which the information is desired,
e.g., the respondent.
• A sampling unit is an element, or a unit containing the element, that is
available for selection at some stage of the sampling process. Eg. Females over
18YO or households having one female over 18YO – Maybelline cosmetic study
• Extent refers to the geographical boundaries.
• Time is the time period under consideration.
 Define the Target Population
The target population for the IKEA loyalty project was defined:
1. Elements: male or female head of the household responsible for most of the
shopping at departmental stores
2. Sampling unit: Working telephone/mobile numbers
3. Extent: Hyderabad
4. Time: 1st quarter of the year

Defining Target Population is not easy. Eg. For assessing consumer response to a
new brand of men’s cologne. Target population?
All men?
Men who have used cologne in the previous month?
Men over 18YO?
Women buying cologne?
 The Sampling Design Process

SAMPLING FRAME: 1. Telephone Directory

A representation of the elements 2. Mailing list obtained
of the target population. from a commercial
It consists of a list or set of organisation
directions for identifying the
Target population
Sample Sizes Used in Marketing Research
Studies
Type of Study Minimum Size Typical Range
Problem identification research (e.g., 500 1,000–2,500
market potential)

Problem-solving research (e.g., pricing) 200 300–500

Product tests 200 300–500
Test-marketing studies 200 300–500
TV/radio/print advertising (per commercial 150 200–300
or ad tested)

Test-market audits 10 stores 10–20 stores

Focus groups 2 groups 6–15 groups
 Sampling technique
that do not use chance
selection procedures

Class Rely on convenience or

personal judgement

ificati Each element of the

population has a fixed
on of probabilistic chance of
being selected for the
Samp sample

ling
Tech
nique
s
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
A Graphical Illustration of Convenience Sampling
Judgmental Sampling
Judgmental sampling is a form of convenience sampling in which the population
elements are selected based on the judgment of the researcher.
Researcher chooses the sample for he believes the sample is appropriate.
Examples:
• Test markets – selected to determine the potential of a new product
• Purchase engineers selected in industrial marketing research – considered representative
• Delhi university students selected in research studying voting behavior in young people
• Expert witnesses used in court for analysis of missing murder weapon –by wound study
• Department stores selected to test a new merchandising display
Graphical Illustration of Judgmental
Sampling
Quota 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.
 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.
Class
ificati
on of
Samp
ling
Tech
nique
s
 Simple Random Sampling
• Each element in the population has a known and equal probability of
selection.
• Each possible sample of a given size (n) has a known and equal
probability of being the sample actually selected.
• This implies that every element is selected independently of every
other element.
 Systematic Sampling
• The sample is chosen by selecting a random starting point and then picking
every ith element in succession from the sampling frame.
• The sampling interval, i, is determined by dividing the population size N by the
sample size n and rounding to the nearest integer.

For example, there are 100,000 elements in the population and a sample of 1,000
is desired. In this case the sampling interval, i, is 100. A random number between
1 and 100 is selected. If, for example, this number is 23, the sample consists of
elements 23, 123, 223, 323, 423, 523, and so on.
A Graphical Illustration of Systematic
Sampling
 Stratified Sampling
• A two-step process in which the population is partitioned into subpopulations,
or strata.
• The strata should be mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive in that every
population element should be assigned to one and only one stratum and no
population elements should be omitted.
• Next, elements are selected from each stratum by a random procedure, usually
SRS.
• Each strata within should be: as homogeneous as possible,
• Different strata should be as heterogeneous as possible.
 Stratified Sampling
N = 30 people

Strata
Group them according
to some characteristics

STEP 1: Form strata

STEP 2: Perform SRS to choose samples
n = 12 people
A Graphical Illustration of Stratified
Sampling
 Cluster Sampling
• The target population is first divided into mutually exclusive and collectively
exhaustive subpopulations, or clusters.
• Then a random sample of clusters is selected, based on a probability sampling
technique such as SRS.
• For each selected cluster, either all the elements are included in the sample (one-
stage) or a sample of elements is drawn probabilistically (two-stage).
• Elements within a cluster: should be as heterogeneous as possible,
clusters themselves should be as homogeneous as possible.
 Cluster Sampling
Clusters: Lives in the same street
N = 30 people

1. Maple street

Instead of numbering the respondents, we number streets 2. Main street

STEP 1: Form clusters

STEP 2: Perform SRS to choose one street 3. 1st street
A Graphical Illustration of Cluster Sampling
 Cluster Sampling Vs. Stratified Sampling
Factor Stratified Sampling Cluster Sampling (One-Stage)
Objective Increase precision Decrease cost
Subpopulations All strata are included A sample of clusters is chosen
Within subpopulations Each stratum should be Each cluster should be
homogeneous heterogeneous

Across subpopulations Strata should be Clusters should be

heterogeneous homogeneous
Sampling frame Needed for the entire Needed only for the selected
population clusters

Selection of elements Elements selected from each All elements from each selected
stratum randomly cluster are included
Strengths and Weaknesses of Basic Sampling
Techniques
Technique Strengths
Nonprobability Sampling Blank
Convenience sampling Least expensive, least
time-consuming, most
convenient
Judgmental sampling Low cost, convenient, not
time-consuming
Quota sampling Sample can be controlled
for certain characteristics
Snowball sampling Can estimate rare
characteristics
Weaknesses
Blank
Selection bias, sample not
representative, not recommended
for descriptive or causal research
Does not allow generalization,
subjective
Selection bias, no assurance of
representativeness
Time-consuming
Strengths and Weaknesses of Sampling Techniques
Technique Strengths Weaknesses
Probability Sampling Blank Blank
Simple random Easily understood, results Difficult to construct sampling frame,
sampling (SRS) projectable expensive, lower precision, no
assurance of representativeness
Systematic sampling Can increase Can decrease representativeness if
representativeness, there are cyclical patterns
easier to implement than
SRS, sampling frame not
necessary

Stratified sampling Includes all important Difficult to select relevant stratification

subpopulations, precision variables, not feasible to stratify on
many variables, expensive

Cluster sampling Easy to implement, cost- Imprecise, difficult to compute and

effective interpret results
Choosing Nonprobability Vs. Probability Sampling
Blank Conditions Favoring the Use of Blank
Factors Nonprobability Sampling Probability Sampling
Nature of research Exploratory Conclusive
Relative magnitude of Non-sampling errors are larger Sampling errors are
sampling and non-sampling larger
errors
Variability in the population Homogeneous (low) Heterogeneous (high)
Statistical considerations Unfavorable Favorable
Operational considerations Favorable Unfavorable
Time Favorable Unfavorable
Cost Favorable Unfavorable