Three Reasons Samples Become Separated From Their Populations in Communication Research |
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| Authors: | Tom Grimes Kate Peirce |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Journalism and Mass Communication , Texas State University grimes@txstate.edu;3. School of Journalism and Mass Communication , Texas State University |
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| Abstract: | There are three reasons why probability samples often become separated from their putative populations in mass communication research. First, researchers sometimes believe populations must surely exist when in fact they do not exist. Yet they relentlessly pursue these phantom populations rather than heed classic warning signs that something is wrong. Second, researchers often struggle with underpowered samples. Rather than render those samples using more appropriate qualitative methods, they plow ahead using misapplied statistical methods and thus never inferentially connect to a population. Third, researchers frequently and incorrectly use random assignment rather than random selection as a sample method. This, in turn, can leave a sample unconnected to a population if the population can be drawn only through random selection. As obvious as these three errors are, researchers nonetheless stumble into them regularly. We examine why that is and what researchers can do to avoid these errors. |
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