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A sample base is a list of all eligible members of a population being sampled. The pool from which the samples are taken can be considered. It is a statistical framework used in surveys, social surveys, marketing surveys and different types of studies. This framework is necessary to arrive at an unbiased and accurate conclusion or finding, as it fully defines the population under study. It is generally not possible or practical to make direct observations of every element of the population of interest, and a framework reduces the population studied to a manageable number, helping researchers to draw conclusions about the entire population.
For example, a study that aims to find out how much time teens spend online cannot include every teen in the world. Certain parameters are introduced to narrow down the population of interest. A sample base, in this case, might specify that the adolescent lives in and around New York, is between the ages of 13 and 15, has access to a computer at home, and attends public school. A study conducted in this way can provide insights that apply to adolescents in general in this segment. Establishing a clear framework is critical to the success of any research or study, as a flawed framework leads to inconsistent or inaccurate findings or results.
Although the frame constrains the set from which the sample is drawn, it differs somewhat from the population of interest. For example, using the example above, the sampling frame does not include teens who access the web from their cell phones, who are not home at the time of the call, or who are simply not interested in participating in surveys. . Even entering the sample base does not guarantee that the person will become part of the final sample group. Samples can be taken randomly from the board where each person has a chance of being included, or in a more systematic way, for example, when one out of ten people is selected from the list.
There are a number of problems experienced by those designing a sampling frame that can bias the results. Missing members are a very common problem when those who should be on the board have accidentally been left out. Duplicate members are also a big problem when a member appears more than once. Sometimes foreign entries (people who do not represent the population of interest) can be found within the frame. Other times, instead of listed individuals, the board may contain groups. When there are errors in the sampling frame, the final sample taken is flawed, either as a sample not representative of the study group or because it contains significant bias.