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Data Collection and Sampling MethodsFoundationsamplingopportunity sampling

AQA GCSE · Question 17.5 · Data Collection and Sampling Methods

One of the stations Tom gets in his random sample is Manchester Piccadilly. To find opinions, he goes there one Saturday afternoon and asks his questions to the first 100 people who will answer. Name this sampling method.

How to approach this question

Consider how the sample is being chosen. Is it random? Is it systematic? Is it based on specific quotas? Or is Tom simply asking people who are easily available at that time and place? The name of the sampling method reflects this ease of access.

Full Answer

Opportunity/Convenience sampling
The sampling method described is **Opportunity sampling** (also known as **Convenience sampling**). This is a non-random sampling technique where participants are selected based on their convenient accessibility and proximity to the researcher. Tom is not using a system or random selection process to choose people at the station; he is simply approaching the first 100 people available who are willing to participate.

Common mistakes

✗ Confusing it with random sampling (it is not random as not everyone at the station has an equal chance of being selected).\n✗ Confusing it with quota sampling (Tom is not trying to fill specific categories like age or gender).

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