Types of Random Sampling Techniques

By Carol Wiley, eHow Contributor updated April 25, 2011

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Sampling is the process of getting information from only part of a larger group. The two types of sampling are random sampling and nonrandom sampling. Nonrandom sampling uses some criteria for choosing the sample whereas random sampling does not. The four types of random sampling techniques are simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified random sampling and cluster random sampling.

1. Simple Random Sampling

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Simple random sampling is the most basic and well-known type of random sampling technique. In simple random sampling, every case in the population being sampled has an equal chance of being chosen. It is an equal probability sampling method (EPSEM). EPSEMs are important because they produce representative samples. The most basic way to do a simple random sample is to pull names out of a hat, but today researchers usually use computer programs to select the samples.

Systematic Sampling
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Systematic sampling, a variation of simple random sampling, is also an EPSEM. In systematic sampling, you make a list of potential samples and then choose every nth element on the list as a sample. Choosing samples is a three-step process, best illustrated by an example: The list has 10,000 potential samples, and you want 1,000 samples. First, divide the number of potential samples by the number of desired samples to arrive at a value called n (10,000 divided by 1,000 gives an n of 10). Second, select a random number between one and the value arrived at Step 1 (for this example, let's choose 5). Third, start with a number chosen in Step 2 and then use every nth potential sample. (In this example, start the sampling at 5 and then use every 10th record -- 5, 15, 25...). Systematic sampling has the potential to be biased if the list has been arranged in any type of order.

Stratified Random Sampling

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Stratified random sampling involves dividing the potential samples into two or more mutually exclusive groups based on categories of interest in the research. The purpose is to organize the potential samples into homogenous subsets before sampling. For example, you could divide the potential samples based on gender, race or occupation. You then draw a random sample from each subset. Stratified random sampling is common because it ensures that each subgroup of the larger group is adequately represented in the sample.

The two types of stratified sampling random sampling are proportionate and disproportionate. In proportionate sampling, the sample sizes are proportional to the population sizes. For example, if the potential samples are 50 percent male and 50 percent female, the samples chosen are also 50 percent male and 50 percent female. In disproportionate methods, the sample sizes are not proportional to the population sizes.

Cluster Random Sampling

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In cluster random sampling, you randomly select clusters instead of individual samples in the first stage of sampling. For example, a cluster might be a school, a team or a village. This technique is used when no list of individual samples is available. Usually, the way this type of sampling is done is by starting at the higher level clusters and then sampling at subsequent levels until individual samples are reached.

References
http://www.ehow.com/info_8295415_types-random-sampling-techniques.html
Research Portals Ltd.: Sampling and Samples Columbia CNMTL: Types of Sampling University of South Alabama: Sampling

In statistics, a simple random sample is a subset of individuals (a sample) chosen from a larger set (a population). Each individual is chosen randomly and entirely by chance, such that each individual has the same probability of being chosen at any stage during the sampling process, and each subset of k individuals has the same probability of being chosen for the sample as any other subset of k individuals[1]. This process and technique is known as simple random sampling, and should not be confused with Random Sampling. In small populations and often in large ones, such sampling is typically done "without replacement" ('SRSWOR'), i.e., one deliberately avoids choosing any member of the population more than once. Although simple random sampling can be conducted with replacement instead, this is less common and would normally be described more fully as simple random sampling with replacement ('SRSWR'). Sampling done without replacement is no longer independent, but still satisfies exchangeability, hence many results still hold. Further, for a small sample from a large population, sampling without replacement is approximately the same as sampling with replacement, since the odds of choosing the same individual twice is low. An unbiased random selection of individuals is important so that in the long run, the sample represents the population. However, this does not guarantee that a particular sample is a perfect representation of the population. Simple random sampling merely allows one to draw externally valid conclusions about the entire population based on the sample. Conceptually, simple random sampling is the simplest of the probability sampling techniques. It requires a complete sampling frame, which may not be available or feasible to construct for large populations. Even if a complete frame is available, more efficient approaches may be possible if other useful information is available about the units in the population. Advantages are that it is free of classification error, and it requires minimum advance knowledge of the population other than the frame. Its simplicity also makes it relatively easy to interpret data collected via SRS. For these reasons, simple random sampling best suits situations where not much information is

available about the population and data collection can be efficiently conducted on randomly distributed items, or where the cost of sampling is small enough to make efficiency less important than simplicity. If these conditions are not true,stratified sampling or cluster sampling may be a better choice. [edit]Distinction

between a systematic random sample and a simple random sample

In a simple random sample, one person must take a random sample from a population, and not have any order in which one chooses the specific individual. Let us assume you had a school with 1000 students, divided equally into boys and girls, and you wanted to select 100 of them for further study. You might put all their names in a bucket and then pull 100 names out. Not only does each person have an equal chance of being selected, we can also easily calculate the probability of a given person being chosen, since we know the sample size (n) and the population (N) and it becomes a simple matter of division: n/N or 100/1000 = 0.10 (10%) This means that every student in the school has a 10% or 1 in 10 chance of being selected using this method. Further, all combinations of 100 students have the same probability of selection. If a systematic pattern is introduced into random sampling, it is referred to as "systematic (random) sampling". For instance, if the students in our school had numbers attached to their names ranging from 0001 to 1000, and we chose a random starting point, e.g. 0533, and then pick every 10th name thereafter to give us our sample of 100 (starting over with 0003 after reaching 0993). In this sense, this technique is similar to cluster sampling, since the choice of the first unit will determine the remainder. This is no longer simple random sampling, because some combinations of 100 students have a larger selection probability than others - for instance, {3, 13, 23, ..., 993} has a 1/10 chance of selection, while {1, 2, 3, ..., 100} cannot be selected under this method. [edit]Sampling

a dichotomous population

If the members of the population come in two kinds, say "white" and "black", one can consider the distribution of the number of red elements in a sample of a given size. That distribution depends on the numbers of red and black elements in the full population. For a simple random sample with replacement, the distribution is a binomial distribution. For a simple random sample without replacement, one obtains a hypergeometric distribution. [edit]References

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^ Yates, Daniel S.; David S. Moore, Daren S. Starnes (2008). The Practice of Statistics, 3rd

Ed.. Freeman. ISBN 978-0-7167-7309-2.