Theory
Theory In Practice
Abstract
To ensure that we obtain sample information that accurately reflects the population, sample theory requires a specific definition of the population and the use of probability sampling. Probability sampling requires the random selection of elements from the population. Four procedures for randomly selecting the elements for the sample are (1) simple random sampling, (2) systematic sampling, (3) stratified sampling, and (4) cluster sampling. Selection of the appropriate sampling procedure depends upon the research purpose and the population.
