Venura's challenge

Conduct research and collect data: In the course of my empirical research, I encountered a significant challenge in collecting primary data to form a representative sample. The primary data collection method involved conducting an online survey, without any monetary or other incentives to entice participants. Consequently, I initially relied on distributing the survey among my acquaintances, which obviously resulted in a sample heavily skewed towards students. This disproportionate representation raised concerns about the sample’s accuracy in reflecting the broader population. 

Venura's strategy

To address this issue, I devised a strategy aimed at diversifying the respondent pool. Recognizing the limitations of my initial approach, I turned to LinkedIn as a platform to engage individuals who were not students. This approach yielded a substantial number of responses from a more diverse demographic. Furthermore, I deliberately gathered as many responses as possible and subsequently applied a systematic filtering process. This process aimed to retain responses that maintained the sample’s representativeness while eliminating any outliers. This approach was chosen because it struck a balance between collecting a robust dataset and ensuring that the sample accurately mirrored the population under investigation. 
 

  • Insel der Forschung
  • Insel der Forschung 2.0.
  • 2024
  • Venura (32) is pursuing a Master's degree in Sustainable Mobility Management and is currently working on an empirical study as part of his studies. In his statement, he shows how to overcome the challenges of data collection.

  • Fallbeispiel oder Praxisbericht (z.B. Projektbeschreibung) | Studentische Statements
  • Text/Textdokument
  • Englisch
  • CC BY SA (unsere Empfehlung: Namensnennung - Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen)
  • Insel der Forschung (2024). Obtaining a Representative Sample for Empirical Research:: Studentische Statements.
  • > 3. Master Semester
  • Sustainable Mobility Management