Sampling Frame

A survey may be a census of the universe (the study population) or may be conducted with a sample that represents the universe. Either a census or a sample survey requires a sampling frame. For a census, the frame will consist of a list of all the known units in the universe, and each unit will need to be surveyed. For a sample survey, the frame represents a list of the target population from which the sample is selected. Ideally it should contain all elements in the population, but oftentimes these frames do not.

The quality of the sample and, to an extent, of the survey itself depends on the quality of the sampling frame. Selecting a sampling frame that is of high quality and appropriate ...