INTRODUCTION
In the context of conducting surveys or
collecting data, sampling is the selection of
a subset of a larger population to survey.
This chapter focuses on sampling methods
for web and e-mail surveys, which taken
together we call ‘Internet-based’ surveys.
In our discussion we will frequently compare
sampling methods for Internet-based
surveys to various types of non-Internetbased
surveys, such as those conducted
by postal mail and telephone, which in
the aggregate we refer to as ‘traditional’
surveys.
The chapter begins with a general overview
of sampling. Since there are many fine
textbooks on the mechanics and mathematics
of sampling, we restrict our discussion to
the main ideas that are necessary to ground
our discussion on sampling for Internet-based
surveys. Readers already well versed in the
fundamentals of survey sampling may wish
to proceed directly to the section on Sampling
Methods for Internet-based Surveys.