Data Collection
Pros
Cons
Census
Sampling
Observation
For the following scenarios, determine:
1. Which method of data collection has been used?
2. Is the method fair or biased?
a. The local newspaper conducts an online poll to determine whether
locals are or aren’t in favour of a new shopping complex being built.
b. A politician conducts a phone poll by ringing every 100th number in the
phone book in order to investigate their popularity with locals.
c. A psychologist studies a group of children through a one-way mirror as
they watch an advertisement in order to predict how children will
respond to an advertisement.
d. Every person who visits a local Doctors’ Surgery is asked to fill in a
survey about the surgery so that the surgery can better serve its
patients.
e. Environmental advocates ask passers-by in the local mall about their
views on environmental issues during the hours of 10am and 12noon
on a weekday in order to find out the views of locals.
f. The top ten athletics students in each grade at our school are asked
how much time each week they spend exercising in order to study the
exercise patterns of the school’s students.