Probability of Selection

In survey sampling, the term probability of selection refers to the chance (i.e. the probability from 0 to 1) [Page 618]that a member (element) of a population can be chosen for a given survey. When a researcher is using a probability sample, the term also means that every member of the sampling frame that is used to represent the population has a known nonzero chance of being selected. That chance can be calculated as a member's probability of being chosen out of all the members in the population. For example, a chance of 1 out of 1,000 is a probability of 0.001 (1/1,000 − 0.001). Since every member in a probability sample has some chance of being selected, the calculated probability is always greater than ...