Topic 3 DQ 2
Sampling theory studies the relationship between a population and the samples collected from that population. The theory is only applicable to random samples. The idea behind the theory is the collection, analysis and interpretation of the information that is collected from the random samples of a population of the study. Sampling theory is not only concerned with properly selected observations in a population, but it sometimes uses probability theory together with the knowledge the researcher had on the population. The theory is related to the samples collected from a population using the sampling strategy. In most studies, the researcher is interested to obtain valid inferences about a population, and it is tedious and costly to collect data from the whole population; therefore samples are collected to represent the whole population.
An example of sampling theory is where one may wish to conclude the number of people who are infected with malaria in a population. A sample is selected from the same population and interviewed so that the researcher can get a conclusive answer from the population. The results obtained from the sample are generalized to the whole population. Generalization is the process where one experience or impression is used to represent the entire population.
In sampling theory, the generalization of the results is the end product of the conclusions made from the randomly selected samples. The samples are selected randomly to minimize the bias of the results and to make the results more generalizable. Generalization is basically relating what has been learnt in a small population to get a picture of the entire population. In nursing research, generalization is used to get the real pictured of the population health from the sample used for the study.