Group Exercise: Sampling

Each group will design a sampling strategy for a hypothetical social research project. First, identify the study population. Next, discuss how you could draw a sample from that population. Indicate what strategy you would choose -- purposive or probability -- briefly how you would construct the sample, and why that strategy is the best practical one for the study. (Do not discuss how you would conduct the study itself; this exercise is just about sample design.)

Remember to include the names of all group members in your response, posted in the comments to this page.

  1. A study of urban police officers' attitudes towards political protests.
  2. A study of the reading habits of Hispanic adults in New York City.
  3. A study of affirmative action hiring in U.S. hospitals.
  4. A study of gender socialization among immigrants to the U.S.
  5. A study of the social networks of home-schooled children in New York State.