The downside is that if the samples arranged in some organized manner there is a great potential for bias in the sample selection. Moreover, because this method limits the potential for every target participant to be included in the study the external validity of the results will be limited (Robson, 2011). Stratified sampling is a technique that can be used when there are subgroups within the target population that have attributes that may be relevant to the outcome such as different genders, different ethnic backgrounds, different levels of education, etc. (Bryman, 2012). The researcher divides the target population in the subgroups and then randomly samples from each subgroup according to some quota that has been previously identified. This allows for more realistic overall sample and can help enhance external validity; however, it is often difficult to get the information ahead of time, there may not be sufficient amounts of participants in the specific subgroups available, and this method is often time-consuming...
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