ABSTRACT
Ideally, a sample should be both unbiased and large enough to yield reliable results.
By definition, a random sample is an unbiased sample.
Simple Random Sampling
chance of being selected. One way to draw a simple random sample is to put the names of all
members of a population on slips of paper, put the slips in a hat, mix them up, and draw out
the number needed for the survey. A more efficient method is to use a set of random num-
bers. A set of random numbers is a set in which the numbers have no sequence and no rela-
tionship to each other. To understand what this means, suppose a researcher put the ten single
digits from 0 to 9 on slips of paper, mixed them up in a hat, pulled out one, and wrote it
down. Then the researcher put the slip back into the hat, mixed them again, and drew out an-
other one, and wrote it down next to the first number drawn. Continuing this process, the re-
searcher would create a set of random numbers (i.e., each number has no relationship to any other number).
