2. sampling

Question 1

What is meant by random sampling?

Answer 1

• chosen at random
• everyone in the population has the same chance of getting chosen

Question 2

What is an advantage of using random sampling?

Answer 2

• quick and can be performed on a computer

Question 3

What is a disadvantage of using random sampling?

Answer 3

• could end up with an unrepresentative sample

Question 4

What is meant by stratified sampling?

Answer 4

• every nth person from a list

Question 5

What is an advantage of systematic sampling?

Answer 5

• very convenient when you have a list of people on a database

Question 6

What is a disadvantage of systematic sampling?

Answer 6

• can be unrepresentative depending on how the list is organised

Question 7

What is meant by stratified sampling?

Answer 7

• e.g. 50% of males and 50% of females
• the sample frame in divided into a number of smaller groups (strata)

Question 8

What is meant by multistage sampling?

Answer 8

• researchers select a sample by using combinations of different sampling techniques

Question 9

What is meant by snowball sampling?

Answer 9

• start with one person, ask them to suggest someone else to interview

Question 10

What is an advantage of snowball sampling?

Answer 10

• useful when a sample is difficult to obtain

Question 11

What is meant by quota sampling?

Answer 11

• selecting people with particular characteristics

Question 12

What is a disadvantage of quota sampling?

Answer 12

• issue of representativeness

Question 13

What factors may influence a researcher when choosing a sampling method?

Answer 13

• theoretical perspective
• practical factors
• ethical factors

Question 14

What kind of sampling would a positivist use?

Answer 14

• they would want to make sure their samples are representative of wider populations

Question 15

What kind of sampling would an interpretiivst use?

Answer 15

• more interested in getting niche samples of deviant groups
• no need to generalise