Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE SAMPLING

CHART 2 Illustration of Cluster Sampling

Goal: Draw a random sample of 240 people in Mapleville.

Step 1: Mapleville has 55 districts. Randomly select 6 districts.

1 2 3* 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15* 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27* 28 29 30 31* 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40* 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

49 50 51 52 53 54* 55

* = Randomly selected.

Step 2: Divide the selected districts into blocks. Each district contains 20 blocks. Randomly select
4 blocks from the district.

Example of District 3(selected in step 1):

1 2 3 4* 5 6 7 8 9 10* 11 12 13* 14 15 16 17* 18 19 20

* = Randomly selected.

Step 3: Divide blocks into households. Randomly select households.

Example of Block 4 of District 3(selected in step 2):

Block 4 contains a mix of single-family homes, duplexes, and four-unit apartment buildings. It is
bounded by Oak Street, River Road, South Avenue, and Greenview Drive. There are 45 households
on the block. Randomly select 10 households from the 45.

1 #1 Oak Street 16 " 31 "
2 #3 Oak Street 17 #154 River Road 32 "
3 #5 Oak Street 18 #156 River Road 33 "
4 " 19 #158 River Road 34 #156 Greenview Drive
5 " 20 " 35 "
6 " 21 #13 South Avenue 36 "
7 #7 Oak Street 22 " 37 "
8 " 23 #11 South Avenue 38 "
9 #150 River Road 24 #9 South Avenue 39 #158 Greenview Drive
10 " 25 #7 South Avenue 40 "
11 " 26 #5 South Avenue 41 "
12 " 27 #3 South Avenue 42 "
13 #152 River Road 28 #1 South Avenue 43 #160 Greenview Drive
14 " 29 " 44 "
15 " 30 #152 Greenview Drive 45 "

• = Randomly selected.

Step 4: Select a respondent within each household.

Summary of cluster sampling:
1 person randomly selected per household
10 households randomly selected per block
4 blocks randomly selected per district
6 districts randomly selected in the city
1 x 10 x 4 x 6 = 240 people in sample