The typical research process consists of a theory/proposition that needs to be verified in order for it to be established in the literature as authentic research. During researching online, it is very important to fully understand your correct market segment and to estimate the sample size of your target segment.
Target Population
The target population depicts the entire population of people under the scope of the study. Also known as the theoretical population, it is very important to narrow down this particular segment in order to guide your research onto the right path.
Getting access to your entire target population is never possible, which is why a sampling technique is henceforth utilized to select an accessible sample that yields data that is non-biased. For effective research, it is always very important to ensure non-bias to have efficient results. All these procedures are outlined in each research undertaken and are very important to ensure the validity of your online research.
The target population helps set the direction for the research scope and objectives. It also enables us to assign characterize the entire segment and helps us estimate a sample size from a target population.
ESTIMATING SAMPLE SIZE FROM A TARGET POPULATION
To estimate the sample size for the population, several things have to be taken into consideration. These include:
- Time to Collect Data: We need to consider how much time we can allocate towards collecting data. Since most researches are time-bound, this is a very important consideration.
- Cost Incurred during Data Collection: Do you have to spend money to reach a certain market? Are there alternatives that you can use for your sample which would be more cost-effective?
- The Response Rate that you will achieve: Will the people respond to your survey questionnaire? Will they be too busy to answer?
- Removal of Bias: Will you be able to remove bias somehow? Through anonymity perhaps?
- Processing time for data: How long will it take you to process data at your disposal?
It is extremely important to consider the above-mentioned factors in order to be able to complete research within the resources you currently have. Online research methods such as online surveys have cleared the path for many things such as costs etc. and give excellent leverage to maximize your sample size accordingly. It is also important to consider how much data do you need to make an informed analysis. The process of estimating your sample size is a very important one that you must undertake for your research in order to adequately meet the criterion of effective research!
