Population, Sample, and Sampling fi [INTRODUCTION sampling isa process of selecting representative units from an entire population ofa study. Sampling ipnotanew development, but in recent times itis used by people ina fields, even in day-to-day life, to getan understanding about societies, opinions, o situations Fr example, a grain buyer takes handful agains to get an idea about entire bag of grains; or for instance, a chef tests a few morsels of cooked Gishto know the correctness of taste and flavours; similarly a pathologist take only a few mililites of the blood to measure the haemoglobin levels ofan individual. sre sSimilarly in research studies, itis not always possible to study an entire population; therefore, the researcher draws a representative part of a population through sampling process. In other words, Sampling isthe selection of some part of an aggregate ora whole onthe basis of which judgements or JHerences about the ageregate or mass is made. Its a process of obtaining information regarding a phenomenon about entire population by examining a part of it fil TERMINOLOGY USED IN SAMPLING Some of the main terms used in sampling process are as flows (see Figure 8.1): 1 Population: Population isthe aggregation of all he nits in which a researcher i intrested ‘other words, population is the set of people or entities to which the resuilts of a research are to be generalized. For example, a researcher needs to study the problems faced by postgraduate nurses aera: inthis the ‘population’ will be all the postgraduate nurses who are Indian citizens 1 Target population: A target population consists of the total number of people or objects which are meeting the designated set of criteria. In other words, it is the aggregate of all the cases with a certain phenomenon (or phenomena) about which the researcher would like to make a generalization. For example, a researcher is interested in identifying the complication of diabetes mellitus type-II among people who have migrated to Ludhiana. In this instance, the target population are all the migrants at Ludhiana suffering with diabetes mellitus type-II. «Accessible population: It is the aggregate of cases that conform to designated erteria. and are also accessible as subjects for a study. For example, “a researcher is conducting a study a ihe repstered nurses (RN) working in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Tdhiana’. In this case, the population for this study is all the RNs working in DMCH, but ‘some of them may be on leave and may not be accessible for research study. Therefore, ecossible population for this study will be RNs who meet the designated criteria and who are also available for the research study. «Sampling: Sampling isthe process of selecting a representative segment ofthe population under _ study.TYPES OF SAMPLING TECHNIQUES i i i he population. Thus, a carefully carried Sampling is the process of selecting a representative part of the popul © Cut sampling process helps to draw a sample that represents the characteristics ofthe Population from Which the sample is drawn, There are several methods or techniques of sampling; however, silly sampling techniques are Classified in two broad categories, i.e., probability and nonprobability sampling technique. Brief review of probability and nonprobability sampling technique is presented in Tables’8.1 and 8.6 respectively. ‘Types of sampling technique Probability sampling techniq Nonprobabiity sampling technique L-4. Simple random samping + Puposvesamping [L2. Stated random sampling 2.Converien samping [-A-Systematc random sampling A. Consecutive sampling [°4. Cstermulistage sampling “. Quota samping Z 5 Sequential sampling Snow bal sampling Probability Sampling Technique Itis based on the theory of probability population. In this, every subject in @ population has equal chance Probability sampling technique js used to enhance the represenatv a study. In probability sampl “subjects are randomly select It involves random selex of the clements/members of the to be selected as study sample. eness of the selected sample for ig techniques, the chances of systematic bia is relat Features of the probability sampling 2. Probability sampling is technique wherein the samples are gathered in a Process that gives all ~the individuals in the population equal chances of being selected. . ah sampling technique, the researcher must guarantee that every ind opportunity for selection, and this can be achieved only iF the researcher utilizes randomization, fie advantage of using a random samples the absence of both systematic an sampling bias Ifrandom selection is done propery, the sample is represent ir seuilative of the enlire population. © The effect ofthis is a minimal or absent systematic bias, which i ~ results from the sample and those from the vidual has an equal>> 94.0) spaat ou 1 Apmis 0} 91q)550d 10— 9 pouasandauiapun 40 payuasaidaiiaa0 0) anp aydwes anqyeuaséidat 09] Jo s9ouey— aydues paseiq uf nsay ow sounowog— ‘Aywopattou axe ajdures aaneruos yeas Jo uoneoyisseyo Ayney Jo soouey— ‘uoyeui9jut ayy duo sauinbay- Sluywunsuoo ow 2 aaisuadeg— roe up 2q eo sooudinjuy o-zefo UN 11 aRunw0d poxiy ou SSRIS parapps mews aBossyynu 40 499501) duosaod (001 MOL 949 se ons ‘dnoxd ox, oxy ase try AaaK0 50 duns opus 2 pooja Suioq jo aout set wonetndod yo soquiout Kon ‘Siyydus wopuosadurs ‘sanbuuyooy Bucuwes Awigeqoid jo matnas soug 49 agewonemndod amqua Jo aBe1an09 100d Jo saouey— [dues aaneyuosoidas om ajueren ou Soop sheanyy— aais ajdures ip noge wondo ssa} nooo ett S9se1q stofosu0)~ uonendod SHOMPIEY ‘aun moge a8paymouy | sso] saxmnbar se sosmooas saxeS— ‘aiqesop}suoa arinboy— yds v asp 0} ajdunig- 1yoe) Buydwes Aygeqosduou jo mane Jag 9°8 2191,Homogeneity: If the population is homogencous, then a small sample may be sufficient. Since inahomogsneos population their answers are going to be close, taking a large sample went Gisorganization, a sample that is small will be enough, . on family o Degree of accuracy desired from the estimate: Precision is the limit if tolerable errors exist Dia the sample estimates. For example, a study is conducted on the number ef patients eetigtod swith the diet provided at the hospital. In this studly, all that the researchr wants te the antes of people satisfied to be within >50 of the true population (patients on hospital dis) 9, Degree of confidence: Confidence refers to our desire that we do not want the error to go beyond a > Catain limit. Therefore, the higher the degree of confidence, the la tee require cris the sample size required. For example, if we nced a degree of confidence of 989%, then tt means we do not want the ce ts be beyond 256 e@Cooperation and attrition: Attrition refers to the condition when people initially willing to participate fail to continue participation and leave the sample. If the ata is collected from multiple points and there is less chance of communication of the researcher with the sample duc to long time gap, there can be a possibility of attrition, So, sample size should be selected including expected refusals. a Subgroup analysis: If the hypotheses are to be tested not only for the population, but also for 7 specific subgroups, then the sample size should be large enough to rake the generalization Of the results possible to those subgroups too. For example, if we want t0 stidy the use of fn internet-equipped library to the nursing students, and then utilize the same results for the final-year students; who are expected to carryout internet searching exercises ff [PROBABILITY AND SAMPLING ERRORS se Sampling is an act of extracting a representative part of population for determining characteristics of the whole population. A sample is expected to represent the population just like the salt’s taste on everybody's taste buds. However, it may not be necessary that each sample will be representative of the popillation it is derived from. This difference is the sampling error which arises when just the sample isunder study and not the population itself. Sampling error is the deviation of the selected sample from the true characteristics, traits, behaviours, qualities, or figures of the entire population. Reasons of the Sampling Errors| —$=$_ $ $< —$— —_<_ Se a a ko cabling eso