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UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

ECON1005 – INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS SEMESTER I - 2015/2016

TUTORIAL SHEET #2

1. Explain three methods that may be used to collect information on Household Income. Be sure to examine one important advantage and disadvantage of each.

2. What is sampling? Highlight the similarities and the differences among the three approaches to sampling design namely:

a. Simple random sampling, b. Stratified random sampling c. Cluster sampling.

3. Use a suitable example to distinguish between sampling error and non-sampling error.

4. A large university campus has 18,000 students. The President of the Students’ Association wants to conduct a survey of the students to determine their views on an increase in the Student Activity Centre Fee. She would like to acquire information about all the students but would also like to compare the responses of the School of Business, the Faculty of Science & Technology; the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Medical Sciences, the Faculty of Social Sciences, The Faculty of Humanities and Education, The Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, and The Faculty of Engineering.

b. Design a sampling plan that accomplishes these goals. Be sure to outline the steps involved in undertaking such a statistical investigation.

c. Discuss the limitations that may arise in conducting such an exercise.

5. Examine whether it is possible for a sample survey to yield better results than a census?

6. The telephone directory may not be a representative sampling frame for a survey of 1200 households in your country. Do you agree? Why?

7. Discuss the following questions and determine whether each is TRUE or FALSE. Justify your choice in each case.

d. With cluster sampling it is assumed that the population items are all alike. T/F?

e. In a heterogeneous population a stratified random sample...