SOC 232 Lecture Notes - Stratified Sampling, Nonprobability Sampling, Cluster Sampling
Document Summary
Element or unit: a single case in the population. Population: all cases in which a researcher is interested. Sampling frame: the list of elements from which the sample will be selected. Sample: the elements (subset of a population) selected for investigation. Representative sample: a sample that contains the same essential characteristics as the population. Probability sample: a sample selected using a random process so that each element in the population has a known likelihood of being selected. Non-probability sample: a sample selected using a non-random method. Sampling error: the error that occurs because of differences between the characteristics of the sample and those of the population. Non-response: when an element selected for the sample does not supply the required data. Census: data that comes from an attempt to collect information from all elements in the population. Some groups are over- represented; others are under-represented. sources of bias non-probability sampling, inadequate sample frame, non-response.
