A sample replicate is a random subset of the entire available sample (i.e. sampling pool) that has been drawn for a particular survey. Sample replicates help survey managers coordinate the progress that is made on data collection during the survey's field period. Sample replicates often are made up of a randomly assigned 1,000 of the sampled elements, although sometimes replicates may be as small in size as 100.

The value of structuring a survey sampling pool into replicates is that it is not possible to know in advance exactly how many of the telephone numbers, emails, or street addresses in a sampling pool actually [Page 781]will need to be released and processed in order to achieve the final sample size of completed interviews a given survey ...