Whether students are working with existing data or generating their own,
sampling is a deceptively complicated and anxiety-inducing process
especially when participants are people. Pressured by the usual
limitations on time, access, and resources, students can panic at the
thought that sampling involves theory and calculations and make snap
decisions that usually lead to convenience sampling and ultimately, weak
research claims. This Fix takes the panic out of sampling designs and
helps students understand what sampling is, how it applies to different
types of situations, and how to decide what approach works best for
their project so they can maximize the impact of their research. It
covers questions like:
- What is sampling?
- What is my population?
- Should I use probability sampling?
- Should I use subjective, non-probability sampling?
- How do I sample from ill-defined, hard-to-reach, and wary
populations?
- How can I sample people ethically?
- How can I reduce error and bias in sampling?
- How large should my sample be?
Students need help over hurdles at every stage of their research
project. They want simple, powerful, accessible tools that deliver
results fast. They need to meet interim assessment deadlines and prove
that they have successfully passed through multiple stages of their
project, or need to master a stage of understanding in a learning
cascade before they can proceed to the next week in their methods
module.
Their supervisors are increasingly unable to help, but will still be
assessing results. Students need more than YouTube.
Titles in the Little Quick Fix series offer:
- Visual, design-led learning
- Clear, structured, useful pedagogy
- A hand-holding, step-by-step approach for students who are less able,
or less academically prepared by school so far
- Effective self-directed learning with DIY progress tracking
- A stand-in for the busy/unavailable supervisor
