Task 3
For Task 3, you draft a sampling plan (about 300 words) for your final project. The plan should state:
- If you intend to have a probability or non-probability sample,
- I intend to have a non-probability sample because I know the precise number and location of the entirety of my intended population and it is up to each individual to choose to participate in the survey.
- What information is available about the theoretical population and study population,
- The information gathered in my survey will produce data and findings with broad implications. However, the study population is quite definite. I will be distributing a survey with the intent to reach every athlete that participated in the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. That amounts to approximately 1,000 individuals (the study population). The theoretical population is all student-athletes. Currently, there are “400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities” (NCAA, 2010).
- What are the procedures you will follow to select elements of the population,
- I will use cluster sampling and Callegaro’s step-by-step recruitment procedure (pg. 1012).
- How to access them,
- There is a small bit of personal relationship building that is necessary to convey my survey to potential respondents. I will use a variety of streams and tactics to broadcast my survey to each individual athlete:
- Most institutions have a department for athletic academic support. For example, MSU has SASS. Since my survey is academic research, I will convey an invitation to participate to all the academic support departments at the various institutions. In return for participating and as an incentive, I will provide the departments with the results of my research.
- All institutions in the study population have an athletic department. I will contact the Athletic Director, Coach, Sports Information Director, or other staff person that might be a potential champion for my research and have that person help me with survey distribution.
- I may have to contact the individual athletes myself.
- Modes of contact will be: phone, mail, email (through school web site directories), and possibly social network sites like Twitter and Facebook. MSU, for example, has many athletes on both social networks. Even the Athletic Director is reachable via Twitter.
- There is a small bit of personal relationship building that is necessary to convey my survey to potential respondents. I will use a variety of streams and tactics to broadcast my survey to each individual athlete:
- How to increase the response rate, and
- I strongly believe that my multi-faceted invitation approach will increase the response rate. Using one mode of contact limits a survey. I will use multiple modes as described above. For example, if the SID doesn’t return my phone calls I will email the Athletic Academic Support Services Department. If that fails, I might call the coach. If that doesn’t work, I can send a Twitter message straight to the athlete. The combination of these approaches will increase the response rate. And, of course, I must time it right (not during the season, for example).
- Any other issues you think are relevant.
- I think my optimism is a big issue that is relevant. I’m assuming that I can connect with sociology departments (where a lot of athletes major in undergrad at various institutions), other athletic departments, and individuals and that I can single-handedly connect with these people. I do offer some incentives, like the research results indicated in the above point, however I don’t know how big of a worm I can dangle in front of all these fish. Will anybody really want to participate in a survey for little old me?
Post your sampling plan to M4 Task 3 Discussion Forum by midnight of June 17 (20 points).
“A probability-based sample is one in which the respondents are selected using some sort of probabilistic mechanism, and where the probability with which every member of the frame population could have been selected into the sample is known” (Fricker, pg. 199)
“Non-probability samples, sometimes called convenience samples, occur when either the probability that every unit or respondent included in the sample cannot be determined, or it is left up to each individual to choose to participate in the survey” (Fricker, pg. 199)
“The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports” (NCAA, 2010).
