describe how you would select a sample of respondents to answer the questions of starting salaries after graduating from a university based on size and range
To select a sample of respondents to answer questions about starting salaries after graduating from a university based on size and range, you can follow these steps:
1. Define the population: Determine the specific group of individuals you want to target. In this case, it would be recent graduates from a university.
2. Identify key characteristics: Decide which variables are important for your research. In this case, the two variables are the size of the university and the salary range of the graduates.
3. Determine the sample size: Calculate the number of respondents you need to achieve a representative sample. This can be based on statistical calculations or practical considerations, such as time constraints or available resources.
4. Obtain a list of graduates: Contact the university administration or career services to obtain a list of recent graduates, including their contact information.
5. Stratified sampling based on size: Divide the list of graduates into strata based on the size of the university. For example, if there are three categories (small, medium, large), create subgroups for each category.
6. Determine the sample size for each stratum: Allocate the desired number of respondents proportionally to the size of each stratum. For instance, if the small category represents 30% of the graduates, allocate 30% of your sample size to that stratum.
7. Randomly sample within each stratum: Randomly select graduates within each stratum using a random number generator or a similar method. This ensures that the sample is representative of each stratum and reduces bias.
8. Stratify by salary range: Further divide each stratum based on the salary range of the graduates. For example, if salary ranges are categorized as low, medium, and high, create subgroups for each category within each stratum.
9. Determine the sample size for each salary range within each stratum: Allocate the desired number of respondents proportionally to the salary ranges using a similar process as in step 6.
10. Randomly sample within each salary range and stratum: Randomly select graduates within each salary range and stratum using the same random selection method as in step 7. This ensures that your sample is representative of both size and salary range.
11. Contact the selected respondents: Reach out to the selected graduates via email, phone, or any other convenient method to ask them if they are willing to participate in your survey.
12. Analyze the data: Collect the responses and analyze the data to draw conclusions about starting salaries based on university size and range.
By following these steps, you can obtain a representative sample for your study and gather valuable insights about starting salaries after graduating from a university.