Page 60 - Exhibit No. 3 Copies of Instructional Materials Actually Used

Nursing Research I

Module 7: Identifying the Population of
the Study

Introduction

Every research activity is a scientific process; hence strict measures have to be
done or carried out in order to avoid bias. The dictionary defines bias as an influence
that can cause a distortion in research findings due to an oversight in the investigation.
Since the total population cannot always be covered in every study, there is a need to
conduct the study using a reliable sample group. The selection of a sample is guided
by systematic procedures and strategies, which is the concern of module.

Learning Outcome

At the end of the module, the student will be able to design an appropriate sampling
plan for the research study.

Learning Content

The Concept of Sampling

According to Kumar (2011), sampling is the process of selecting a few (a
sample) from bigger group (the population) to become the basis for estimating or
predicting the prevalence of an unknown piece of information, situation or outcome,
regarding the bigger group.

Selecting a sample rather than the total population has advantages and
disadvantages. On the advantage side, it saves time financial and human resources.
But on the disadvantages side, the researcher finds only an estimate or a prediction
of information about the population’s characteristics or other data, which are essential
to the research study.

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Nursing Research I