DTSS COLLEGE OF COMMERCE

NAME: TANUJA DAYANAND SHINDE

CLSS: M.COM PART II (MANAGEMENT)
ROLL NO: 24
TH


QUATION: ESSENTIAL OF GOOD SAMPLING

I. MEANING:
Sampling design is a plan designed to select the appropriate sample in order to
collect the right data so as to achieve research objectives.
A sample is a part of the universe that can be used as respondents to a survey or
for the purpose of experimentation, in order to collect relevant information to
solve a particular problem.
Donald Tull and Dell Hawkins define sample as those individuals chosen from the
population of interest as subject in an experiment or to be the respondents or to
be the respondents to a survey.

II. ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD SAMPLING
The following are the essential characteristics of a good sample:
1. Representative:
A sample is a subset of the population or universe. The sample must be
representative of the universe. Therefore, the researcher must be select
the sample members who have the characteristics of the universe. For
example, when a research is undertaken to study job satisfaction in police
force; then the sample members must be the police personnel belonging to
different levels in the police force.

2. Focus on Objectives:
The sample size must be selected depending upon the research objective.
For instance, if a research is undertaken to find out impact of inflation on
the poor then the sample size would be larger, as there are more poor
people households in India.(in 2008, there were about 147 million
households of poor people in India yearly income if less than Rs.90,000).
But if the research is undertaken to find out the impact of inflation on the
rich class, then the sample size would be in India. (In 2008 there were
about 8.6 lakh households in Indian belonging to the rich class- yearly
income of Rs. 10 lakh to Rs.1 corer and middle class household were 57
million yearly income of Rs.90,000 to Rs. 10 lakh ).

3. Flexibility:
The sample size should not be rigidly followed. The sample size can be
modified depending upon the circumstances.
For instance, the sample size may be reduced, if sufficient information is
already available or if there limitation of time and funds. However, sample
size may be increased, if proper information is not available from the
current sample.

4. Methods of Sampling:
The researcher must select proper method of sampling. The sampling
methods are broadly divided onto two groups- probability method and
non-probability methods. Certain method requires less time to complete
data collection. For instance, convenience sampling (non- probability
method) requires less time to collect data, Therefore, the researcher may
select convenience method, if there are limitation of time.

5. Proper Selection of Sample Unit:
The sample unit must be appropriate. The universe comprises of the
elements, and each element can be further divided into units. For
instance, if a study is conducted to study job satisfaction among bank
employees, then bank employees comprise the universe. The elements of
universe may comprise of bank employees/mangers in rural banks, and
female employees, junior or senior employees. Depending upon the type of
research, the researcher must select proper sample unit(s) to conduct the
research activity.

6. Proper Sampling Frame:
The researcher should select proper sampling frame to collect information.
Sampling frame is an instrument to obtain addresses or such other
information about the various elements of the universe. The sampling
frame may include telephone directories, register of members in an
organization, etc. Before selection of sampling frame, the researcher must
answer the following questions:
Does it adequately cover the universe?
Dose it represent each and every unit?
Is the sample frame up dated?

7. Proper Sampling Plan:
The researcher must prepare a sampling plan, which must indicate:
Sampling unit
Sampling frame
Source of Data
Method of data collection.
Resources required for data collection.
Time frame to collect data, etc.
Proper sampling plan will help to decide about the right sample sizes,
which in turn will facility proper collection of data.
8. Geographic Area of the study:
The researcher must consider the size of the area or selecting the sample
size. For instance, if the area coverage is large such as the entire state or
country, then the size of the sample would be large. In such situation, the
researcher may adopt multi-stage cluster sampling. However, if the area of
study us restricted only to a particular city, than the sample size would be
smaller. In such a situation, the researcher may use single cluster sampling.


9. Situation:
The sample size should be suitable to collect the relevant data. For
instance, if conducted to find out reading habits of college students in City
of Mumbai, then the sample would be the students from the college of
Mumbai City, and the sample size may be smaller. But if the students in
India, then the sample would consist of students from various colleges
across India and the sample size would be larger.

10. Economy:
The sample size must be economical. The sample size must be cost-
effective. It should not put extra burden on the resources. At the same
time, the sample size should be such that it facility proper collection of
data.
Normally, the researcher must first consider the availability of resources, and
then plan for the sample size. For instance, the availability of resources and then
plan for the sample size can be larger, if larger funds are available for research
activity and vice-versa.