Statistics and Probability Dictionary
Select a term from the dropdown text box. The online statistics
glossary will display a definition, plus links to other
related web pages.
Select term:
Cluster Sampling
Cluster sampling refers to a type of
sampling method
. With cluster sampling, the researcher divides the
population into separate groups, called clusters. Then, a simple random sample
of clusters is selected from the population. The researcher conducts his
analysis on data from the sampled clusters.
Compared to
simple
random sampling
and
stratified sampling
, cluster sampling has advantages and disadvantages.
For example, given equal sample sizes, cluster sampling usually provides
less precision than either simple random sampling or stratified sampling. On
the other hand, if travel costs between clusters are high, cluster sampling may
be more cost-effective than the other methods.