Running head: SAMPLING 1

Sampling

Name:

Institution:

SAMPLING 2

Sampling

After an intense period of learning on Annenberg Series online interactive site, I have

gained important knowledge on sampling. Sampling, in statistics, refers to the selection of a

subset of individuals or items from an entire population marked for statistical study (Reifman,

2010). The selected population represents the characteristics or the behavior of the whole

population. Sampling methods are important because it reduces the cost of carrying out the

research and makes the process faster. Sampling is carried out in various environments using

various tools, depending on the size of the population area. One issue in sampling is the

accuracy of the sample population and the ability of the selected sample to provide an accurate

estimation of the views held by the entire population.

There are various lessons I discovered in sampling and one of them is the inaccuracy of

sampling in polls. Polls are common methods of carrying out research on a given issue and are

mainly used by media houses and web-based research. The majority of media statements are

based on polls conducted by various individuals in a given population. My continued interaction

with polls has led to my conclusion that poll participants do not represent a random sample. First,

poll participants are mainly volunteers or idle people. In most cases, such people are not

knowledgeable about a given topic and may participate just for the sake of being part of the poll.

The information they provide may not be quality because they were not selected based on their

mastery of the issue. In addition, volunteers in the poll are less likely to be evenly distributed. It

is not possible to obtain volunteers in a systematic position. This implies that the information

provided by the volunteers may not be accurate. Poll sampling is at times motivated by selfish

interests, such as political popularity of a given party or candidate. Given that participation is

voluntary, those participating may be influenced by the affected party so as to provide results in

SAMPLING 3

their favor. For instance, if a poll is conducted by a local radio station on the popularity of

candidate A. The supporters of candidate A will be influenced by candidate A to take part in the

poll to tilt the results in his favor.

The fact that poll samples do not reflect a true sampling population implies that web

based samples are affected in the same way. The web - based sample is generated in almost the

same way as polls. The participants are not known, but they interact online with the researcher.

In the same way as poll samples, the study population in a web-based research draws its sample

population from volunteers. Such volunteers may be motivated by various issues thereby shifting

the authenticity of the study. Also, the current innovation in information technology makes it

easy for someone to cheat on his or her geographical positions, sex, qualifications, and

affiliations. For instance, there is a software that can be used to mask a computer IP address

(Asher, 2001). A person willing to influence the results of a web-based study may manipulate

such tools to influence the outcome. This implies that the sample population selected will not

reflect a true sample of a given study population. Also, there are chances of cheating in a web-

based study because the participants are mostly idlers combing the web. Nevertheless, web-based

polls cannot be ignored as they provide a certain degree of accurate information.

SAMPLING 4

References

Asher, H. (2001). Polling and the Public: What Every Citizen Should Know. Washington, D.C:

CQ Press.

Reifman, A. (2010). Sampling. Retrieved Sept 16, 2013, from Texas Tech University:

http://courses.ttu.edu/hdfs3390-reifman/samp.htm