Sample
Encyclopedia
Samples are used in much of the research conducted in both the social and natural/physical sciences. Even in the fields of history, music, and English, samples are often used in empirical investigations. Because the quality of the sample(s) used in a study has such an important bearing on the trustworthiness of a researcher's conclusions, here the following six critical aspects are considered:
- The definition of sample
- Why researchers use samples
- How sample data are used
- What kinds of samples researchers use
- Why the concept of “sampling error” is important
- The misconceptions people have about samples
Definition and Examples
A sample is a subset of a population. The population can be a set of people, animals, or things. For example, the population might be made up of all children who, on a given day, ...
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Reader's Guide
Descriptive Statistics
Distributions
Graphical Displays of Data
Hypothesis Testing
Important Publications
Inferential Statistics
Item Response Theory
Mathematical Concepts
Measurement Concepts
Organizations
Publishing
Qualitative Research
Reliability of Scores
Research Design Concepts
Research Designs
Research Ethics
Research Process
Research Validity Issues
Sampling
Scaling
Software Applications
Statistical Assumptions
Statistical Concepts
Statistical Procedures
Statistical Tests
Theories, Laws, and Principles
Types of Variables
Validity of Scores
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