{"id":1538,"date":"2024-09-24T10:39:32","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T05:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/?p=1538"},"modified":"2024-09-24T10:39:33","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T05:09:33","slug":"systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/","title":{"rendered":"Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When you\u2019re conducting a study, a very important decision you will be making is how you will sample (i.e., obtain) participants or subjects. The sampling method (random sampling, systematic sampling, etc.) you use can directly affect how reliable and generalizable your results are. It can also affect your study budget, choice of data analysis method, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today we\u2019ll dive into one popular sampling method: systematic sampling. If you want a broad overview of all the sampling methods available, see this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/understanding-sampling-methods-non-probability-vs-probability-sampling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">article<\/a>. We also have some tips on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/sampling-methods-and-techniques-in-research-a-comprehensive-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">choosing the right sampling method<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is systematic sampling?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Systematic sampling involves selecting every \u201cn\u201dth item from a list of the study population. So if you\u2019re conducting a study on burnout in nurses, and select every 4<sup>th<\/sup> nurse from the personnel register at X hospital, you\u2019re using systematic sampling.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advantages of systematic sampling: when to use it&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Systematic sampling is easy to do and is efficient. It\u2019s also cost-effective. So, opt for it if&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019ve a tight budget&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019re short on time&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But note this <strong>key disadvantage<\/strong>: you could end up with bias if there is an underlying pattern in the population list. Like in the example of hospital nurses above, if the list was deliberately ordered \u201cmale, female, male, female,\u201d you\u2019d end up missing the male nurses in your sample.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steps in systematic sampling&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned earlier, systematic sampling is quite easy and straightforward.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\">\n<li>Confirm the desired sample size: Make sure you\u2019ve a sufficiently big sample, by running a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/is-my-research-significant-why-you-shouldnt-rely-on-p-values\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">power analysis and estimating effect size<\/a>. [This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/an-introduction-to-sample-size-effect-size-and-statistical-power-for-biomedical-researchers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">handy infographic<\/a> can help!]&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>Decide the sampling interval: One simple way of doing this is to divide the total study population by your desired sample size.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>Select a random starting point: Be sure your starting point is randomly chosen, to lower the risk of bias.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li>Start sampling!&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Types of systematic sampling: Circular vs linear <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As you move down the population list, you\u2019ll ultimately reach the end. What do you do? If you stop sampling, you\u2019re using <strong>linear<\/strong> systematic sampling. If you go back to the beginning and move back down again, excluding those you\u2019ve already selected, you\u2019re using <strong>circular<\/strong> systematic sampling. Circular systematic sampling is easier when&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Your study population is limited&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>You do not want to compromise on a smaller sample size&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you\u2019re conducting a study, a very important decision you will be making is how you will sample (i.e., obtain) participants or subjects. The sampling method (random sampling, systematic sampling, etc.) you use can directly affect how reliable and generalizable your results are. It can also affect your study budget, choice of data analysis method, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1539,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[96,386,383,384,387,385],"ppma_author":[55],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0 - Editage USA Official Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about systematic sampling, its advantages, how to apply it, and the types of systematic sampling you can use in your study.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0 - Editage USA Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about systematic sampling, its advantages, how to apply it, and the types of systematic sampling you can use in your study.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Editage USA Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-24T05:09:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-24T05:09:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-8152735-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1709\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editage USA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Digital Admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/\",\"name\":\"Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0 - Editage USA Official Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-24T05:09:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-24T05:09:33+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a0301ef51c7d804c3324246c7208dead\"},\"description\":\"Learn about systematic sampling, its advantages, how to apply it, and the types of systematic sampling you can use in your study.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/category\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Editage USA Official Blog\",\"description\":\"Editage USA Official Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a0301ef51c7d804c3324246c7208dead\",\"name\":\"Digital Admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/407c2832c3b2af256d62118416fece48\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cc0c425ffe4e378059b8e5461497bca?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cc0c425ffe4e378059b8e5461497bca?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Digital Admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0 - Editage USA Official Blog","description":"Learn about systematic sampling, its advantages, how to apply it, and the types of systematic sampling you can use in your study.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0 - Editage USA Official Blog","og_description":"Learn about systematic sampling, its advantages, how to apply it, and the types of systematic sampling you can use in your study.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/","og_site_name":"Editage USA Official Blog","article_published_time":"2024-09-24T05:09:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-24T05:09:33+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1709,"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-8152735-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Editage USA","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Digital Admin","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/","name":"Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0 - Editage USA Official Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2024-09-24T05:09:32+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-24T05:09:33+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a0301ef51c7d804c3324246c7208dead"},"description":"Learn about systematic sampling, its advantages, how to apply it, and the types of systematic sampling you can use in your study.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/systematic-sampling-meaning-advantages-disadvantages\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Articles","item":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Systematic Sampling: Meaning, Advantages, Disadvantages\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/","name":"Editage USA Official Blog","description":"Editage USA Official Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a0301ef51c7d804c3324246c7208dead","name":"Digital Admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/407c2832c3b2af256d62118416fece48","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cc0c425ffe4e378059b8e5461497bca?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cc0c425ffe4e378059b8e5461497bca?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Digital Admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.editage.us\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"1970-01-01 05:30:00","action":"","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","browser_timezone_offset":0},"authors":[{"term_id":55,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"editage-usa","display_name":"Editage USA","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1538"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1556,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538\/revisions\/1556"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1538"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=1538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}