Kristen Ashford purchased the subscribers list for Wind Surfing Journal. She plans to survey a sample of the subscribers before using the list in her mail-order business. She randomly selects the fourth name as a starting point and then selects every 50th subsequent name (54, 104, 154, etc.). Her sample is a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .单项选择题
A
Systematic
B
stratified
C
Snowball
D
Quota sample

Question

Kristen Ashford purchased the subscribers list for Wind Surfing Journal. She plans to survey a sample of the subscribers before using the list in her mail-order business. She randomly selects the fourth name as a starting point and then selects every 50th subsequent name (54, 104, 154, etc.). Her sample is a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .单项选择题

A

Systematic

B

stratified

C

Snowball

D

Quota sample

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question describes Kristen Ashford selecting a starting point (the fourth name) and then choosing every 50th name thereafter (54, 104, 154, ...). This pattern matches a systematic sampling method, where selection follows a fixed sampling interval from a randomly chosen start.

Option 1: Systematic. This is the correct characterization because systematic sampling uses a fixed interval (here, every 50th) after a random starting point (the fourth name).

Option 2: Stratified. Stratified sampling involves dividing the population into distinct subgroups (strata) and then drawing samples from each stratum, typically proportionally. The described method does not involve dividing into strata or sampling within each one.

Option 3: Snowball. Snowball sampling relies on existing study subjects identifying future subjects, often in a referral process. There is no referral or chain of contacts in the scenario; it is a fixed-interval selection, not network-based recruitment.

Option 4: Quota sample. A quota sample aims to fill predefined quotas for certain characteristics, often non-randomly, to ensure representation. The method described does not specify quotas or non-random selection to meet them; it uses a random start and fixed interval, not quota-based sampling.

In summary, the procedure aligns with systematic sampling due to the combination of a random starting point and a constant interval between selections, rather than stratification, referral chains, or quota-driven non-random selection.