Talk:Random sample

Not a random sample
This does not describe what is called a random sampling in all contexts: "To pick a random sample, it is necessary to take all the names on the electoral register( a list of all the people who live in a particular area) and pick out, for example, every fiftieth name." Rather, it describes a systematic sampling method, and for the sample produced by it to be properly randomized, the list needs to be random with regards to all relevant parameters. If you want this to be an example of an unambiguously random sampling, you could require that the names on the list are shuffled, or state that every nth name is selected, with n being a random or pseudorandom number changing after each selection. Kronocide (talk) 14:50, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

Merge suggested with Simple random sample
I believe the two articles cover quite different ideas, as I have now explained at Talk:Statistics. However this article and Statistical sample seem to overlap substantially, so they could usefully be merged. Avenue 13:43, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I removed the merge tag and added an expert tag. Can you explain in this article the difference between a random and simple random sample? Thatcher131 15:00, 17 February 2006 (UTC)


 * The term "simple" in front of random sample simply differentiates the method (simple) from other more complex random sampling methods. I agree, though, this article needs expert cleanup.  Unfortunately, I am not that person. 64.7.166.10 (talk) 21:47, 5 March 2009 (UTC)


 * In the years since the previous merge request it seems this article has not improved much and Sampling (statistics) has covered this space. Time to just merge this in, if there is anything useful here, I think.  I removed the expert tag also.  ★NealMcB★ (talk) 06:15, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

uhhh
Where did this definition come from: "A random sample is one chosen by a method involving an unpredictable component"? That's not (nec) a random sample.radek (talk) 07:17, 30 June 2010 (UTC)