GCSE Geography | Sampling methods, technique to investigate large populations

Geography Quiz - Sampling Methods (Questions)

Geographers cannot survey everything, so they use sampling methods to collect data. This GCSE Geography quiz helps you practise choosing fair, reliable samples for fieldwork.

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Fascinating Fact:

Random sampling gives every possible site or person an equal chance of being chosen, which helps reduce bias and makes results more reliable.

In GCSE Geography, you learn how different sampling methods are used to collect data in fieldwork, from questionnaires to river studies. Good sampling reduces bias, improves reliability, and allows geographers to draw clearer conclusions from limited time in the field.

Key Terms

Sample: A smaller group or set of sites chosen to represent a larger population or area.
Random sampling: A method where every person or site has an equal chance of being selected.
Systematic sampling: A method where samples are taken at regular intervals, such as every tenth person or every five metres.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are sampling methods in GCSE Geography?

Sampling methods in GCSE Geography are the different ways geographers choose people or locations to study. Common methods include random, systematic, and stratified sampling to collect fair, reliable data.

What is the difference between random and systematic sampling?

In random sampling, every person or site has an equal chance of selection, often using a number generator. In systematic sampling, you select at regular intervals along a route or list.

Why is sampling important in Geography fieldwork?

Sampling is important because geographers cannot survey everyone or everywhere. Careful sampling saves time and money while still providing data that can represent the wider area or population.

Try These Related Quizzes

What is sampling?

[ ]	Gathering data from books
[ ]	Counting every plant of different species in a field
[ ]	Generating random pairs of co-ordinates
[ ]	A short-cut method of investigating a large population or area

Sampling is:

[ ]	a one hundred percent accurate measure of the population or area under study
[ ]	a good estimate of what has been studied
[ ]	visiting food shops and trying out some of the different foods on offer
[ ]	an unimportant part of fieldwork

Which of the following is a correct statement about random sampling?

[ ]	The method used where the study area is the same throughout
[ ]	The method used where the study area is not the same throughout
[ ]	The investigator chooses where the samples will be taken
[ ]	They are all correct

Systematic sampling is:

[ ]	an investigation into the systems used in a particular area
[ ]	only suited to places that are the same everywhere
[ ]	suitable for use where there is an environmental gradient
[ ]	not suitable for urban surveys

A quadrat could be used for environmental sampling in which of the following situations?

[ ]	Interrupted belt transect of sand dunes
[ ]	Continuous belt transect of the land from a farmers field to the edge of a lake
[ ]	Random sampling of a school playing field
[ ]	All of the above

When using a quadrat for random sampling, the co-ordinates give the position of which corner of the quadrat?

[ ]	North west
[ ]	North east
[ ]	South east
[ ]	South west

What is objective data?

[ ]	Information about the objects found in a survey
[ ]	Data that does not rely on a personal opinion
[ ]	Data that is obtained from a survey where people are protesting about something
[ ]	Data that is incorrect

Subjective data depends on which of the following?

[ ]	Personal opinion
[ ]	Clothing
[ ]	Time of day
[ ]	All of the above

Which of the following would require stratified sampling?

[ ]	An investigation into a woodland which had a clearing in it
[ ]	An investigation of the whole of the school grounds excluding the buildings
[ ]	An investigation in which questions are answered by working people, elderly ladies and children at primary school
[ ]	All of the above

10.

Which of the following sampling methods would be the least practical for sampling the beetles living in a public park.

[ ]	Random sampling with a quadrat
[ ]	Systematic sampling with a quadrat
[ ]	Continuous line transect
[ ]	None of the above are practical

Geography Quiz - Sampling Methods (Answers)

What is sampling?

[ ]	Gathering data from books
[ ]	Counting every plant of different species in a field
[ ]	Generating random pairs of co-ordinates
[x]	A short-cut method of investigating a large population or area

Without sampling, studying a population or environment would usually take too much time

Sampling is:

[ ]	a one hundred percent accurate measure of the population or area under study
[x]	a good estimate of what has been studied
[ ]	visiting food shops and trying out some of the different foods on offer
[ ]	an unimportant part of fieldwork

It is the most important part of fieldwork since it provides the data for your analysis and conclusion

Which of the following is a correct statement about random sampling?

[x]	The method used where the study area is the same throughout
[ ]	The method used where the study area is not the same throughout
[ ]	The investigator chooses where the samples will be taken
[ ]	They are all correct

Random sampling is most appropriate for unifom areas and the sample locations should NEVER be chosen by the person doing the survey

Systematic sampling is:

[ ]	an investigation into the systems used in a particular area
[ ]	only suited to places that are the same everywhere
[x]	suitable for use where there is an environmental gradient
[ ]	not suitable for urban surveys

Systematic in this sense indicates that samples will be taken at regular intervals

A quadrat could be used for environmental sampling in which of the following situations?

[ ]	Interrupted belt transect of sand dunes
[ ]	Continuous belt transect of the land from a farmers field to the edge of a lake
[ ]	Random sampling of a school playing field
[x]	All of the above

Quadrats are used in many environmental surveys

When using a quadrat for random sampling, the co-ordinates give the position of which corner of the quadrat?

[ ]	North west
[ ]	North east
[ ]	South east
[x]	South west

In other words, the bottom left corner as you look at the quadrat

What is objective data?

[ ]	Information about the objects found in a survey
[x]	Data that does not rely on a personal opinion
[ ]	Data that is obtained from a survey where people are protesting about something
[ ]	Data that is incorrect

It is data that can be measured using an instrument e.g. tape measure, quadrat or by counting

Subjective data depends on which of the following?

[x]	Personal opinion
[ ]	Clothing
[ ]	Time of day
[ ]	All of the above

An example of subjective data would be whether someone liked or disliked the design of a new bridge that had been built in the area of the survey