Tom reads that HS2 will link 29 stations. He decides to take a random sample of 5 of the stations where he can ask people for their opinions. Briefly describe a way Tom could achieve this.

A simple random sample is a subset of a statistical population in which each member of the subset has an equal probability of being chosen. The method involves two key stages: \n1. **Create a Sampling Frame:** This is a list of all the items in the population. In this case, Tom would list all 29 stations and assign each a number from 1 to 29. \n2. **Random Selection:** Use a random process to select 5 items from the frame. This could be done by: \n - Using a calculator or computer's random number generator to produce 5 unique integers between 1 and 29. \n - Writing each number on a separate piece of paper, placing them in a container (a "hat"), mixing them, and drawing out 5 papers without looking.