Kommentar

Ziehung einer (Zufalls-) Stichprobe von Makroeinheiten (Schulen, Organisationen, Haushalten = cluster), innerhalb derer eine vollständige Befragung aller Personen erfolgt (Markus Gangl, Vorlesung an der Universität Mannheim zum Thema Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung I, WS 2004/05).

Cluster sampling is a sampling technique where the entire population is divided into groups, or clusters, and a random sample of these clusters are selected. All observations in the selected clusters are included in the sample. Cluster sampling is typically used when the researcher cannot get a complete list of the members of a population they wish to study but can get a complete list of groups or 'clusters' of the population. It is also used when a random sample would produce a list of subjects so widely scattered that surveying them would prove to be far too expensive, for example, people who live in different postal districts in the UK. This sampling technique may well be more practical and/or economical than simple random sampling or stratified sampling.