This category is for techniques for statistical sampling from real-world populat

ions, used in observational studies and surveys.

Sampling is that part of statistical practice concerned with the selection of an
unbiased or random subset of individual observations
This article is about statistically selecting a random (or "representative") sub
set of a population. For computer simulation, see pseudo-random number sampling.
In statistics, quality assurance, and survey methodology, sampling is concerned
with the selection of a subset of individuals from within a statistical populati
on to estimate characteristics of the whole population. Acceptance sampling is u
sed to determine if a production lot of material meets the governing specificati
ons. Two advantages of sampling are that the cost is lower and data collection i
s faster than measuring the entire population.
Each observation measures one or more properties (such as weight, location, colo
r) of observable bodies distinguished as independent objects or individuals. In
survey sampling, weights can be applied to the data to adjust for the sample des
ign, particularly stratified sampling (blocking). Results from probability theor
y and statistical theory are employed to guide practice. In business and medical
research, sampling is widely used for gathering information about a population.
The sampling process comprises several stages:
Defining the population of concern
Specifying a sampling frame, a set of items or events possible to measure
Specifying a sampling method for selecting items or events from the frame
Determining the sample size
Implementing the sampling plan
Sampling and data collecting
Data which can be selected
Cluster sampling[edit source | editbeta]
Sometimes it is more cost-effective to select respondents in groups ('clusters')
. Sampling is often clustered by geography, or by time periods. (Nearly all samp
les are in some sense 'clustered' in time - although this is rarely taken into a
ccount in the analysis.) For instance, if surveying households within a city, we
might choose to select 100 city blocks and then interview every household withi
n the selected blocks.
Clustering can reduce travel and administrative costs. In the example above, an
interviewer can make a single trip to visit several households in one block, rat
her than having to drive to a different block for each household.
It also means that one does not need a sampling frame listing all elements in th
e target population. Instead, clusters can be chosen from a cluster-level frame,
with an element-level frame created only for the selected clusters. In the exam
ple above, the sample only requires a block-level city map for initial selection
s, and then a household-level map of the 100 selected blocks, rather than a hous
ehold-level map of the whole city.
Cluster sampling generally increases the variability of sample estimates above t
hat of simple random sampling, depending on how the clusters differ between them
selves, as compared with the within-cluster variation. For this reason, cluster
sampling requires a larger sample than SRS to achieve the same level of accuracy
- but cost savings from clustering might still make this a cheaper option.
Cluster sampling is commonly implemented as multistage sampling. This is a compl
ex form of cluster sampling in which two or more levels of units are embedded on
e in the other. The first stage consists of constructing the clusters that will
be used to sample from. In the second stage, a sample of primary units is random
ly selected from each cluster (rather than using all units contained in all sele
cted clusters). In following stages, in each of those selected clusters, additio
nal samples of units are selected, and so on. All ultimate units (individuals, f
or instance) selected at the last step of this procedure are then surveyed. This
technique, thus, is essentially the process of taking random subsamples of prec
eding random samples.
Multistage sampling can substantially reduce sampling costs, where the complete
population list would need to be constructed (before other sampling methods coul
d be applied). By eliminating the work involved in describing clusters that are
not selected, multistage sampling can reduce the large costs associated with tra
ditional cluster sampling