Definition:Sampling Frame

Definition

A sampling frame is a specification of all units in a population in sufficient detail in order that a random sample may be selected.

Examples

UK Register of Electors

The UK Register of Electors forms a sampling frame of all the people in each district who are qualified to vote in parliamentary elections.

Unfortunately, it rapidly becomes out of date.

People move in and out of the area, or they die, or they become of age, and so on.

Also known as

A sampling frame is also known just as a frame.

Also see

• Results about sampling frames can be found here.

Sources

• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): frame
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): frame