Characteristics of A Good Sample Design
Characteristics of A Good Sample Design
The purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific
procedures. The main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not
been discovered as yet. Though each research study has its own specific purpose, we may think
of research objectives as falling into a number of following broad groupings:
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it (studies with this
object in view are termed as exploratory or formulative research studies);
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group
(studies with this object in view are known as descriptive research studies);
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with
something else (studies with this object in view are known as diagnostic research studies);
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables (such studies are known as
hypothesis-testing research studies).
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH can also be understood keeping in view the following
points:
(a) To those students who are to write a masters or Ph.D. thesis, research may mean a
careerism or a way to attain a high position in the social structure;
(b) To professionals in research methodology, research may mean a source of livelihood;
(c) To philosophers and thinkers, research may mean the outlet for new ideas and insights;
(d) To literary men and women, research may mean the development of new styles and creative
work; (e) To analysts and intellectuals, research may mean the generalisations of new theories.
Thus, research is the fountain of knowledge for the sake of knowledge and an important source
of providing guidelines for solving different business, governmental and social problems. It is a
sort of formal training which enables one to understand the new developments in ones field in a
better way.
Non-probability sampling: Non-probability sampling is that sampling procedure which does not
afford any basis for estimating the probability that each item in the population has of being included
in the sample. Non-probability sampling is also known by different names such as deliberate
sampling, purposive sampling and judgement sampling. In this type of sampling, items for the sample
are selected deliberately by the researcher; his choice concerning the items remains supreme. In other
words, under non-probability sampling the organisers of the inquiry purposively choose the particular
units of the universe for constituting a sample on the basis that the small mass that they so select out
of a huge one will be typical or representative of the whole. For instance, if economic conditions of
people living in a state are to be studied, a few towns and villages may be purposively selected for
intensive study on the principle that they can be representative of the entire state. Thus, the judgement
of the organisers of the study plays an important part in this sampling design. In such a design,
personal element has a great chance of entering into the selection of the sample. The investigator may
select a sample which shall yield results favourable to his point of view and if that happens, the entire
inquiry may get vitiated.
Thus, there is always the danger of bias entering into this type of sampling technique. But in the
investigators are impartial, work without bias and have the necessary experience so as to take sound
judgement, the results obtained from an analysis of deliberately selected sample may be tolerably
reliable. However, in such a sampling, there is no assurance that every element has some specifiable
chance of being included. Sampling error in this type of sampling cannot be estimated and the element
of bias, great or small, is always there. As such this sampling design in rarely adopted in large inquires
of importance. However, in small inquiries and researches by individuals, this design may be adopted
because of the relative advantage of time and money inherent in this method of sampling. Quota
sampling is also an example of non-probability sampling. Under quota sampling the interviewers are
simply given quotas to be filled from the different strata, with some restrictions on how they are to be
filled. In other words, the actual selection of the items for the sample is left to the interviewers
discretion. This type of sampling is very convenient and is relatively inexpensive. But the samples so
selected certainly do not possess the characteristic of random samples. Quota samples are essentially
judgement samples and inferences drawn on their basis are not amenable to statistical treatment in a
formal way.