Write a 600 word essay that discusses why random selection is necessary for sampling to be effective and
statistically accurate.
In a study, it is often difficult to
observe each and every element within a researcher’s chosen population. Often
data is collected from a subset of elements, called samples, from the
population and the observed characteristics are treated true for the entire
set. In almost all studies, it is important that the chosen subset is highly
representative of the entire population so that the conclusion collected from
the samples can be applicable to the entire population.
There are two sampling procedures
often used by researchers when conducting a study (especially in social
sciences research), these are probability
and non-probability sampling. In probability sampling all the
elements of a chosen population have equal opportunities of being included in
the sample. Also the probability of an element’s chance of being selected can
be mathematically computed.
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A sample is considered to be random
if it has been selected from a finite population wherein each element of the
population has been assigned an equal chance of being selected. This process is known as Random Selection or
Random Sampling as it is more popularly called. Random sampling is also often
done in a single stage with each of elements selected independently. This
definition however must not be misinterpreted as a random sample isn’t truly
“representative” of the population. Rather, random sample is employed so that
any “bias” is eliminated and all individuals are given equal chances of
selection.
Random sampling allows a researcher
to impersonally choose the participants or respondents of his or her study. If
the researcher fails to employ random sampling he or she may run the risk of
favouring a certain group or population as respondents ultimately affecting the
results of the study. The danger in not using random sampling in any study is
that the researcher runs the risk of gathering misguided or inaccurate results.
To illustrate, results of studies (tackling public opinions or interests) that
did not use any form of random sampling may not really reflect the general
public opinion even though a very large sample size has been obtained (Russel, par. 1).
Random
sampling is extremely important when conducting a quantitative research, such
as surveys or polls. A sample which is highly random is more preferred since
results of most quantitative researches are highly dependent on statistics. In
contrast, qualitative researches, such as FGDs and the likes, do not usually
employ random sampling since they are not statistical.
Obtaining
a perfect or almost perfect random sample however is not as easy as it seems.
The most common problem encountered by researchers who use random sampling is
acquiring a complete list of all the elements within the desired population. In
such cases, the most popular method used to obtain a complete listing of
elements is through the use of a city’s telephone book. As with any other
methods however there are always draw backs, such as the exclusion of those who
do not have telephones, those who have unlisted numbers, or those who prefer to
use cell phones rather than land lines. Another problem usually encountered by
researchers when using random sampling is the difficulty in locating some of
the elements of the population. Some individuals may no longer be residing in a
particular area included in your sampling frame or they may have relocated to a
different place.
However as
researchers have discovered, the size of the population does not greatly affect
the accuracy of the results yielded by the samples randomly chosen. Rather it
is the low response rate of the chosen sample which greatly affects the accuracy
of the results.
References
Herek, Gregory M.
"Introduction to Sampling." UC Davis, Psychology. N.p., 2012. Web.
6 Jan. 2013.
<http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/fact_sample.html>.
"NEDARC -
Random Selection." NEDARC - National EMSC Data Analysis Resouce Center.
N.p., 14 Aug. 2012. Web. 6 Jan. 2013.
<http://www.nedarc.org/statisticalhelp/selectionAndSampling/randomSelection.html>.
Russel, Susan H.
"Importance of Random Sampling." The Program | Online MA (OLMA) in
Political Science at Virginia Tech. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2013.
<http://www.olma.vt.edu/courses/5115d/week5-random.html>.
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