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Determining Sample Size

There are two approaches to determining sample size for statistical analysis: 1. Using calculations involving means to estimate population averages. The sample size formula uses estimates of the acceptable random error, confidence level, and population standard deviation. 2. Using calculations involving proportions to estimate population percentages. The sample size formula uses estimates of the acceptable random error, confidence level, and population proportion. In both cases, determining the appropriate sample size allows researchers to estimate population values within a known level of accuracy and confidence. Sample sizes are calculated based on pre-determined thresholds for random error and desired confidence levels in the estimates.

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Aftab Chaudhry
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74 views

Determining Sample Size

There are two approaches to determining sample size for statistical analysis: 1. Using calculations involving means to estimate population averages. The sample size formula uses estimates of the acceptable random error, confidence level, and population standard deviation. 2. Using calculations involving proportions to estimate population percentages. The sample size formula uses estimates of the acceptable random error, confidence level, and population proportion. In both cases, determining the appropriate sample size allows researchers to estimate population values within a known level of accuracy and confidence. Sample sizes are calculated based on pre-determined thresholds for random error and desired confidence levels in the estimates.

Uploaded by

Aftab Chaudhry
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Determining Sample Size


Two approaches to tackle the issue
By Raja Rub Nawaz

Statistical metho s !or etermining sample size


"robability sample sizes shoul be etermine by calculation# There are lots o! te$tbooks which actually eal with this matter in etail# % un erstan that sometimes either those books contain lengthy iscussion on this topic or many times they eal with it &ery technically# 'y approach to tackle this issue is &ery simple# (et)s begin our iscussion a&oi ing any serious an &ery technical calculations# There are two i!!erent types o! calculation that can be one# *&erage +or mean, metho "roportion +or percentage, metho

The i!!erent types o! calculation are escribe in the !ollowing sections#

Calculations involving means


The !ormula which is use !or calculating the size o! a ran om sample which is to be use to in&estigate a mean +a&erage, is-

.here

The three pieces o! in!ormation nee e to calculate /n01 are-

1. An acceptable level of random error (E)


This !igure speci!ies the e$tent to which the researcher is willing to tolerate the !in ings !rom the sample being i!!erent !rom the entire population# The higher the le&el o! /201 the less chances are there that !in ings !rom the 3uestionnaire +sur&ey, represent the &iews o! the population#

%! we a or minus this number to the a&erage or mean1 it gi&es us the range o! our con!i ence inter&al !or the mean# 4or e$ample1 suppose a cinema was to con uct a sur&ey to etermine how o!ten each year1 on a&erage1 people atten the cinema# The researcher may choose a le&el o! sampling error +2, o! 0#2# %! the a&erage number o! &isits by the respon ents in the sample is !oun to be 5#6 per year1 the researcher can now easily !in that the a&erage number o! &isits is anywhere between 5#5 an 5#7 time per month1 i#e# 5#6 8 0#2# This range is known as the con!i ence inter&al !or the mean#

2. An acceptable confidence level (Z)


This !igure tells us the chances that the !in ings !rom the sample will !all within the con!i ence inter&al# %n the !ormula !or calculating the size o! a sample +gi&en abo&e, con!i ence le&els are e$presse as 9:) &alues# The most commonly use 9:) &alues shown in table ; below#
Table 1: Most commonl used Z values

Confidence !evel (") #$ #% ##

Associated Z value ;#<=5 ;#7<0 2#565

&. An estimate of t'e standard deviation of t'e population (()


%n cru e terms this !igure can be thought o! as the e$tent to which members o! population are similar or i!!erent to each other +this is why it is calle / ispersion0,# The lower the stan ar e&iation1 the more similar its members are to each other an the higher the stan ar e&iation1 the less similar + i!!erent, are the members to each other# *n estimate o! the stan ar e&iation o! a population is usually ma e on the basis o! pre&ious sur&eys1 pilot sur&eys1 secon ary ata1 or simply the ju gment o! the researcher#

An E)ample of calculations involving MEA*+: * sur&ey may be esigne to in&estigate how o!ten1 on a&erage1 people atten their local cinema# (et)s assume that the three pieces o! in!ormation are as !ollows*n acceptable le&el o! ran om error +2, > 0#2 *n acceptable con!i ence le&el +:, > 75?1 so we will use the : &alue as ;#7<0 !rom table ; abo&e# *n estimate o! the stan ar e&iation o! the population +@, > ;#56

.hen these three pieces o! in!ormation ha&e been generate 1 the calculation o! an appropriate sample size is &ery easy#

Base on abo&e calculations1 a simple ran om sample o! 2A< people is re3uire to pro&i e the researcher with the esire le&els o! accuracy with 75? con!i ence#

Calculations involving proportions


The !ormula which is use !or the calculating the size o! a ran om sample use to in&estigate a proportion is-

.here

The three pieces o! in!ormation nee e to calculate /n01 are-

1. An acceptable confidence level (Z)


This !igure can be selecte in precisely the same way as escribe !or calculations in&ol&ing means as escribe earlier#

2. An estimate of t'e population proportion (,)


The estimate the population proportion +",1 the researcher has to guess this#

&. An acceptable level of random error (E)


This !igure speci!ies the e$tent to which the researcher is willing to tolerate the !in ings !rom the sample being i!!erent !rom the entire population . -n t'is scenario of

calculations involving proportions. E /ill be e)pressed as a percentage rat'er t'an an absolute value. 4or e$ample1 suppose a cinema was to con uct a sur&ey to in&estigate the proportion o! people who atten more than once a month# The researcher may choose a le&el o! sampling error +2, o! 0#0A an the proportion o! people &isiting the cinema more than once a month is !oun to be ;<#5?1 then the researcher can now easily !in that the people who atten the cinema more than once a month is anywhere between ;A#5? an ;7#5?1 i#e# ;<#5? 8 A?# This range is known as the con!i ence inter&al !or the proportion# An E)ample of calculations involving ,01,10T-1*+: * sur&ey may be esigne to in&estigate the proportion o! people who &isit their local cinema more than once a month# (et)s assume that the three pieces o! in!ormation are as !ollows*n acceptable le&el o! ran om error +2, > 0#0A *n acceptable con!i ence le&el +:, > 75?1 so we will use the : &alue as ;#7< !rom table ; abo&e# *n estimate o! the population proportion +", atten ing the cinema more than once a month > 0#;5 +or ;5?, .hen these three pieces o! in!ormation ha&e been generate 1 the calculation o! an appropriate sample size is calculate as !ollows-

Base on abo&e calculations1 a simple ran om sample o! 5=; people is re3uire to pro&i e the researcher with the esire le&els o! accuracy with 75? con!i ence#

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