Sampling Methods (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

What is sampling?

• Identifying the target population is a part of the research process where sociologists decide what or who they want to study, e.g.,

  • people (students, stay-at-home dads, single mums)

  • institutions (schools, hospitals, prisons)

• It can be impossible to question the full population, so a sample or subgroup of the population will need to be studied

• The sample can be selected from a sampling frame:

  • A full list of all members of the population the sociologist wants to study, e.g.,

    • school registers

    • the voters' roll

    • Royal Mail's list of postcodes

• If the sampling frame is inaccurate, the sample drawn from it will not be representative or typical of the wider population

  • As a result, extrapolating or generalising the results to the wider population is difficult

Sampling methods

• To select a sample, sociologists can choose from a variety of sampling techniques, some of which are more representative than others

Random samples

• Some sociologists, e.g., positivists, like to use scientific methods of sampling, such as those below:

Evaluation

• Strengths of random sampling methods:

  • Bias is reduced as the researcher does not influence who is selected

  • Samples are selected that aim to be representative of the population

  • Stratified sampling is more representative than random sampling, which could leave out certain groups by chance

• Weaknesses of random sampling methods:

  • Difficult and time-consuming to conduct in comparison to other sampling methods, as a sampling frame may be difficult to obtain

  • Participants selected may refuse to take part, so a completely representative sample may not be possible

Systematic samples

• If a random sample is not possible, systematic samples are an alternative

Evaluation

• Strengths of systematic sampling methods:

  • With systematic sampling, bias is reduced as the researcher does not influence who is selected

  • Quota sampling may be less time-consuming than other methods, as a sampling frame is not required

• Weaknesses of systematic sampling methods:

  • A systematic sample is time-consuming to conduct in comparison to quota sampling, as a sampling frame may be difficult to obtain

  • Researchers may tend to choose people who 'look friendly' when carrying out a quota sample

Other sampling techniques

• These sampling methods are used where no sampling frame is available, and where sociologists aim for non-representative groups

Evaluation

• Strengths of non-representative sampling methods:

  • Convenient methods, as they save the researcher a lot of time and effort in comparison to probability sampling methods

  • Maybe the only way a researcher can obtain a sample

• Weaknesses of non-representative sampling methods:

  • Biased, as the researcher has control over who is selected; for instance, they may avoid people they don't like the look of

  • A representative sample cannot be selected, so findings cannot be generalised to the wider population