Survey research success requires current, foundational knowledge of sampling strategy. Today, the professional survey researchers need to know both the theory and practical considerations needed for a sampling plan that will result in high-quality data. Survey researchers dealing with declining response rates, over-surveyed populations, and sample source quality concerns require considerable knowledge and strategy.

During this 3-part course, students will learn sampling fundamentals and real-world strategies. This course includes a digital textbook, which will be delivered to the student by email. Please note that this course has required reading, and the student will be assigned 25-30 pages of reading each of the three weeks.

Upon conclusion, students will be able to advise clients on colleagues on issues such as: 

• How do we define our population of interest?
• What options exist for calculating the needed sample size?
• What is the practical difference between probability and non-probability samples?
• Is “random sampling” an option?
• Should we use stratified sampling?
• What can we do to mitigate the risk or impact of non-response bias?
• Should we weight the data?
• How do sampling decisions vary based on online, phone or mixed-mode data collection?
• How do we know if our survey data is representative of the population we are studying?