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Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods

Participants and Sampling: target populations, sampling frames and opportunity sampling

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 2

Overview

Recall questions on target population, sampling frame, random sampling and opportunity sampling.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Define a target population and a sampling frame, and explain what goes wrong if the sampling frame is incomplete.

Evaluation

Define random sampling and opportunity sampling, and give a strength of random sampling.

Key term

What is a target population?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is a target population?

    Model answer

    The entire group the researcher is interested in, from which the sample is drawn and to which the findings will be generalised.

  2. 2

    What is a sampling frame?

    Model answer

    The actual list of members of the target population from which the sample is selected, such as a school register or a membership list.

  3. 3

    What goes wrong if the sampling frame is incomplete?

    Model answer

    Part of the target population can never be chosen, so the sample is biased however carefully the selection is then carried out.

  4. 4

    What makes a sample representative?

    Model answer

    Its members reflect the important characteristics of the target population in roughly the same proportions, so the findings can be generalised to that population.

  5. 5

    What is random sampling?

    Model answer

    A technique in which every member of the sampling frame has an equal chance of being selected.

  6. 6

    Give one strength and two weaknesses of random sampling.

    Model answer

    The researcher has no influence over who is chosen, so selection bias is removed, but a complete list of the population is needed and the process takes time, and those selected may still refuse to take part.

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