In research methods: How to select a sample from a small population of 8-10 people? If all of them, why?

Answer 1

You cannot sample a population of 8-10. In order to get results that reflect the target population as precisely as needed, you would have to use the entire population of 8 or 10, but that would be an incredibly small sample and could not be a sample used for a college research paper.

You will find a research sample size calculator at this site:
http://www.researchinfo.com/docs/calculators/samplesize.cfm

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Answer 2

8-10 people would be considered an inadequate sample size in any legitimate research study. Often 100 people is still considered an inadequate sample. However, since this was filed under homework help, I'm assuming the question was dictated specifically by your assignment and doesn't actually apply to real life research. I can only guess that the answer they're looking for is random sample. In order to be as unbiased as possible, sampling must be random.

Answer 3

With 8-10 people you need a random sample so that's not going to be very random. You could sample by age or demographic area, or by gender depending on the study.

Answer 4

Its always better to have a larger sample...in sociology. Its important that whatever you are reasearching is not only evenly represented but that that representation is adequately backed up by further results from the same control group.
In this case where the variables are unknown (at least to me...unless you add additional details) its better to go with the whole group so everyone is represented.