Convenience Sampling

Convenience sampling (also known as availability sampling) is a method where the selection of participants (or other units of analysis) is based on their ready availability. This availability is usually in terms of geographical proximity (e.g., students in the researcher’s own college or in neighboring colleges) but may involve other types of accessibility, such as known contacts.

As sample selection is based on the researcher’s choice, convenience sampling is a form of nonprobability sampling distinct from forms of probability sampling such as (stratified) random sampling or cluster sampling. Convenience sampling differs from quota sampling—another form of nonprobability sampling, in which selection is based on certain identified characteristics—in not specifically seeking representativeness.

Like other nonprobability sampling methods, convenience sampling has certain practical advantages. It does not require an ...

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