Geographical methods: Data collection and sampling

Which of the following can be classified as quantitative data?

Hint: Quantitative = data that can be counted and is not subjective

• Number of people that cross the road

• An interview about why someone feels a sense of place towards the school canteen

• Asking someone about the human nature conflicts in their neighbourhood

• Someone elaborating about the place they often visit in their neighbourhood

Answer explanation

Quantitative data is data that can be counted and is not subjective (differs from person to person)

Identify whether the following is a research question or a hypothesis:

The longer a person stays in a neighbourhood the more places that they will have a sense of place towards.

• Research question

• Hypothesis

Answer explanation

This is a hypothesis because we trying to predict the relationship between time spent in neighbourhood and number of places that we have a sense of place towards.

I am doing a study on why students love YYSS but I am not a student of YYSS.

Which sequence of data collection would be the best approach to find out the reasons and then check with the student population

• Do interviews with some YYSS students (Qualitative) and then carry out a ranking survey on a larger group of students (Quantitative)

• Do a survey based on the reasons why I think they love YYSS (Quantitative) and then interview them about their responses (Qualitative)

Answer explanation

Since I am not a YYSS student, I do not know the reasons why the students there love the school.

Therefore, it will be BETTER if I got a list of reasons first before getting them to select these reasons

Qualitative then Quantitative

What is one risk that students may face when doing a geographical investigation near a road with heavy traffic?

What is one way that I can mitigate the risk that I have identified in the previous question?

Which sampling method provides me with a more representative sample in terms of fairness?

• Probability sampling

  (Random sampling)

• Non-probability sampling

  (Convenience sampling)

I decided to interview only people who look friendly at the MRT station where I am conducting my data collection.

What sampling method is this?

• Random sampling

• Convenience sampling

• Stratified sampling

• Quota sampling

Which reasons below are possible reasons why researchers carry out convenience sampling?

• They do not have the time to randomly select participants

• They are scared to approach random strangers

• They do not have permission to go out an interview members of the public

• They are unsure about how to do random sampling

What is stratified random sampling?

• When selecting the sample population, I maintain the sub groups that are in my population

• I use a random number generator on the whole population without maintaining the subgroups

Categorize the following sampling methods into whether they are probability or non probability sampling methods.

• Non probability sampling

• Quota sampling

• Probability sampling

• Convenience sampling

• Probability sampling

• Random sampling

• Non probability sampling

• Stratified random sampling