Representative Sampling

• Representative sample

  Ideally, the sample will be a typical cross-section of the society making it representative. This means generalisations can be made to the whole population.
• Representative sampling methods

  • Simple Random Sampling
  • Systematic Random Sampling
  • Stratified Random Sampling
  • Quota Sampling
• Simple Random Sampling


  Picking names from a hat or via a computer from the sample frame. The researcher does not personally choose them. More likely to be objective/unbiased.
• Simple Random Sampling


  • a researcher may choose participants from a sample of people who did Government Jury Duty or were on the electoral register
• Simple Random Sampling

  • Practical strength: simple, quick and easy to do and requires little time
  • Ethical strength: personal information is limited, therefore maintaining confidentiality
  • Theoretical strength: if carried out on a large enough scale, the sample is likely to be representative as there are more participants which is more likely to cover different demographics
• Simple Random Sampling


  • Practical limitation: sample frame may not be up-to-date, and it may be difficult to do on large or dispersed samples which depends on administration method
  • Ethical limitation: the people within the sampling frame may not have agreed for their information to be used or to be contacted for research purposes
  • Theoretical limitation: the representativeness is not guaranteed, as there is no control over the demographic spread
• Systematic Random Sampling


  The researcher works to a system in which every person on the sample frame is chosen from the list (e.g. every nth person)
• Systematic Random Sampling


  • Willmott's 'The Symmetrical Family' study
• Systematic Random Sampling


  • Practical strength: quite easy to complete, selecting the Nth person each time
  • Ethical strength: personal information is limited in the sampling frame, therefore maintaining confidentiality
  • Theoretical strength: a wider spread of participants from the sampling frame should be captured, meaning greater representativeness
• Systematic Random Sampling

  • Practical limitation: more time consuming, having to select the Nth person and the sample frame may not be up-to-date, impacting the representation of those selected
  • Ethical limitation: the researcher needs to consider a person's right to anonymity, did those on the sampling frame consent to their personal information being used by the researcher
  • Theoretical limitation: representativeness is still not guaranteed, as lists are already in a particular order this could lead to a certain person being chosen or certain people being ignored
• Stratified Random Sampling

  Subdividing the sample population into a number of groups, for example, class, age, gender and selecting samples randomly from each group and combining to form the final sample. It is seen as the most accurate form of sampling because it covers all groups and the sample is chosen randomly hence there cannot be any researcher bias in who is chosen.
• Stratified Random Sampling


  • Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW)
• Stratified Random Sampling

  • Practical strength: allows for the most appropriate individuals to be selected
  • Ethical strength: individuals selected from the sample frame are given the right to withdraw
  • Theoretical strength: it allows accurate proportions of groups to be chosen, meaning it is the most likely method to lead to a representative sample, even if relatively small
• Stratified Random Sampling


  • Practical limitation: time-consuming to subdivide into different categories and then select, and detailed information required about the sample frame is needed to effectively divide into subgroups and such information may not be available
  • Ethical limitation: the sampling frame may include personal and sometimes sensitive information that may be required in stratification (e.g. income) and did those in the sampling frame agree for this to be used
  • Theoretical limitation: the sample frame may not be up-to-date, impacting the representation of the sample
• Quota Sampling

  The researcher chooses participants based on participant characteristics, proportional to society. For example, 30% boys, 70% girls. Hence tends to be a more representative form of sampling but is not random.
• Quota Sampling


  • Gavron's 'The Captive Wife' study
• Quota Sampling


  • Practical strength: a relatively quick and cheap way to generate a representative sample
  • Ethical strength: the researcher has fewer pressures to find the sample due to the guide of generating a sample
  • Theoretical strength: it allows for a representative sample, when a frame is not available
• Quota Sampling

  • Practical limitation: it is potentially time-consuming as you have to find specific quotas of people and detailed information required about the participants. The researcher may need to travel dependent on subject matter
  • Ethical limitation: the use of personal information, how do the researchers know the participants' characteristics, where they have gathered the information from or has the researcher made assumptions
  • Theoretical limitation: due to the fact it is non-random, meaning it's biased as the researcher chooses the sample, which could affect representativeness
• favoured by positivists who value objectivity and unbiased methods of data collection