Gathering of thoughts, habits, and views of people can be vital in the development of the society and to monitor any modern trend. This can be done through convenience sampling as it is the easiest way to handle it. But there are corresponding issues when considering this method. In order to fully understand this concept, here are some pros and cons of convenience sampling for you to ponder.
List of Pros of Convenience Sampling
1. Availability of Data
Based from the name itself, it can be attained on a convenient manner. In fact, subjects for this type of study can be just within the researcher. So the researcher doesn’t need to do extra effort to gather data elsewhere.
2. Saves Precious Time
This technique would enable the gathering of data in a much shorter time compared to other methods. This is because it doesn’t need to acquire an exhaustive research for the whole population. This method will only be given to a handful of people that are easily approachable.
3. Saves Previous Money
If you are going to conduct research, it normally requires you to spend a great deal of money to do it. With this option though, you can just collect data with the use of sampling technique. This is a great alternative when funding is not yet available.
4. Useful for Pilot Studies
The technique used in convenience sampling will allow the gathering of primary data regarding the topic. Such findings can be used as pointers and should help in the decision for further action.
List of Cons of Convenience Sampling
1. Possible Bias in Data Gathering
This method can get the views of a specific group of people and not the whole population. Hence, if some groups are over-represented or under-represented, this can affect the quality of data being gathered.
2. Possibility of Sampling Error
Since the selection process is already biased, there are inaccuracies that are bound to set in. This type of discrepancy is known as sampling error.
3. No Generalized Results
Using this method will lead to the difficulty of acquiring generalized conclusions that have been drawn from the research. This is because it is not possible to draw conclusions just by simply what a biased sample say. Most of all, it is not possible to formulate laws or rules, but identifying trends is. Likewise, it is not reliable to make a statement based on the misrepresentation of data from a chosen group of people alone.
Convenience sampling is a method of collecting data samples from people or respondents who are easily accessible to the researcher. However, the pros and cons of convenience sampling presented here can’t be denied that although it has some advantages, it also have disadvantages. Perhaps it depends on the type of research being conducted. If a research only covers a small part of the population, this method can be used accordingly. However, if the issue covers a whole country or a global audience, convenience sampling is not a very reliable data gathering tool for you to consider.
Brandon Miller has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a seasoned writer who has written over one hundred articles, which have been read by over 500,000 people. If you have any comments or concerns about this blog post, then please contact the Green Garage team here.