Arbitrary sample

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Arbitrary samples (choice at random, English convenience sampling ) are special selection procedures in empirical research . Elements from the population are included in the sample more or less arbitrarily (e.g. by an interviewer ) ; it is entirely at the discretion of the interviewer or the investigators themselves. The probability with which a certain element is included in the sample cannot be stated . The arbitrary sample is therefore not suitable for deriving inferential statistical (generalizing estimating) statements. It cannot be stated which population the respective sample refers to ( representativeness ).

Problems are distortions in the direction of the selection mechanism and self-selection .

Examples:

  • Survey of people in a pedestrian zone ("Mall Interception Technique"): Overrepresentation of participants whom the interviewer wants to address and who are at the survey location at the time of the survey.
  • Open online surveys ( online surveys in which participation is not limited to certain people): Overrepresentation of participants who use the Internet and go to the survey page.

literature