17. A researcher has a list of all the students in a school district. The researcher obtains a sample by selecting every 20th student on the list. Which sampling plan is described?
Answer: D
Systematic sampling plan is described.
The researcher is employing a systematic sampling method by selecting every 20th student from the list. This approach ensures that the sample is chosen at regular intervals, which is the hallmark of systematic sampling.
A) Judgment
Judgment sampling involves selecting individuals based on the researcher's knowledge or judgment about who would be most representative or informative. This method does not apply here since the researcher is not using personal judgment but rather a fixed interval to select students.
B) Simple random
Simple random sampling requires that every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected. This is not the case in this scenario, as the researcher is specifically selecting every 20th student, which introduces a systematic element rather than true randomness.
C) Quota
Quota sampling involves ensuring that specific characteristics are represented in the sample based on predetermined quotas. In this case, the researcher is not striving to meet specific quotas but is instead systematically selecting students based on their position on a list.
D) Systematic
Systematic sampling is characterized by selecting members of a population at regular intervals. In this scenario, selecting every 20th student directly exemplifies this method, making it the correct answer.
Conclusion
The systematic sampling method is the most accurate description of the researcher's approach, as it involves selecting participants at fixed intervals. The other options fail to capture the essence of the method used, either by introducing subjective judgment, lacking randomness, or focusing on quotas, which do not apply in this case. Thus, the systematic sampling method is definitively the correct choice.