Christina (2019). Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/eF7HN40WbAQ
Face-to-face sampling can take a couple of different forms:
- Selecting your sample from a group of people who you identify in advance
- Stationing yourself in a public space where anyone in the population could have a reasonable expectation of being at some point and collecting responses from a random selection of willing participants
If there is not a reasonable expectation that anyone in the population could be selected for your sample, then you likely have a convenience sample. The two scenarios mentioned above are convenience samples, because there is no sampling frame from which you are systematically selecting participants at random. For example, you might station yourself on a street corner near a beach to ask passersby about their perceptions of ocean health, or survey all of the individuals in one of your classes (a cluster sample!) about their study habits. Your participants are not random– they are individuals who are easily accessible due to happenstance or physical proximity. As such, probability methods (simple random sampling, stratified sampling) are limited with this mode. So when trying to decide where to go, you must consider where you are most likely to get relevant- although not necessarily representative- responses. You may not be able to generalize your conclusions to a broader population, but face-to-face sampling can give you valuable new insights and may be particularly useful with exploratory studies.
It is possible, with preparation, to conduct in-person random or stratified sampling.
Ethics Check
When conducting a face-to-face sample, you want to do your best to eliminate potential biases by getting as much coverage and responses as possible. To avoid non-response bias, provide your participants with all the necessary information and materials they will need to complete the survey. Print the survey out ahead of time, bring extra pens or pencils, and provide instructions in multiple forms: written, oral, and even a different language if necessary. Encourage folks to ask questions for clarification. Check out this website for further advice about face-to-face sampling, particularly in multicultural settings.
If you’re in a closed environment, consider who will be present while people respond: For company employees, will the presence of a manager make them feel pressure to respond a certain way? For younger students, will they be more comfortable with a familiar person in the room? If you’re collecting survey responses in public, make sure you have permission to be stationed in the location you choose.
