Talk:Sampling (statistics)/Archives/2018

Population Versus Sampling Frame

Currently, the definition of population is ambiguous. Compare the sentence "A population can be defined as including all people or items with the characteristic one wishes to understand" with "Note also that the population from which the sample is drawn may not be the same as the population about which we actually want information". These two statements are in contradiction. If the population is all people with the characteristic we wish to understand how can it not be the same as the population about which we actually want information? There appears to be two different definitions, only one of which is directly expressed. One definition refers to the abstract set of items that one would like information about and the other refers to the items listed in the sampling frame. I think it is confusing to define the term "population" in only one manner and then use it in both.

158.70.40.119 (talk) 13:34, 8 January 2016 (UTC) I would like to add a link in the "Stratified Sampling" section to the "Sampling fraction" article. Perhaps a sentence could be added after "Each stratum is then sampled as an independent sub-population, out of which individual elements can be randomly selected." that states "The ratio of the size of this random selection (or sample) to the size of the population is called a "Sampling fraction." Any suggestions or comments?Vs2357 (talk) 04:03, 3 April 2018 (UTC)