From which of these populations does a researcher select the actual study samples?

Daman & Diu Staff Nurse - 2018

Nursing Research & Statistics

Easy

Appeared in: Daman & Diu Staff Nurse - 2018

Explanation

The accessible population is the subset of the target population that is available and practical for the researcher to access.
Due to constraints like time, cost, and geography, researchers cannot study the entire target population.
Therefore, the actual participants (the sample) are selected from this accessible pool.
The list of all individuals within the accessible population is known as the sampling frame, which is used for the selection process.

Option B: The target population is the broad, ideal group to which a researcher wants to generalize their findings. It is often too large and dispersed to sample from directly.
Option C: 'Universal population' is not a standard term used in research sampling methodology. It is too general and does not have a precise definition in this context.
Option D: 'Scientific population' is not a standard term in research sampling. While research is scientific, this term does not define a specific group for sampling purposes.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Sampling in Research as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the difference between target and accessible populations is crucial for nurses when evaluating research studies for evidence-based practice.
It helps a nurse determine the generalizability of study findings. If a study on a new wound care technique was only conducted on an accessible population of young, healthy adults, a nurse must be cautious before applying it to elderly patients with comorbidities.
What if? If a researcher's accessible population is not representative of the target population (e.g., studying diabetes management using only patients from a wealthy, urban clinic), the study will have poor external validity. The results cannot be reliably applied to the broader population of all diabetics.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core question: It asks from where the 'actual' study participants are chosen.
Recall the key terms in research sampling: Target Population, Accessible Population, and Sample.
Differentiate between the 'ideal' group and the 'practical' group. The Target Population is the ideal group you want to talk about (e.g., all diabetics in India).
Recognize that the Accessible Population is the practical, reachable subset of the target population (e.g., diabetics at a specific hospital).
Conclude that the sample must be drawn from the group that is practically available to the researcher, which is the accessible population.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QBEntT5F8-P3PqGuMqRf0l

E6 NursingResearch Polit 11e Part 1 p. 274-276

E6 NursingResearch Sukhpal Kaur p. 245-247

E6 NursingResearch Suresh Sharma 5e Part 1 p. 233-235