DEMOGRAPHIC SAMPLE SURVEY

DEMOGRAPHIC SAMPLE SURVEY

Sample survey is a sub-set of a population or part of the population of an area carefully selected in such a way is a representative of the entire population and possible to make generalization of the entire population.

            Sample surveys of population are the utilized to provide more detailed information which cannot be collected at the full enumeration of the population. Sample survey is employed to arrive at estimate at demographic characteristic, size, mortality, migration, distribution and fertility.

Importance of Sample Survey: it generates data on subject that will be generalized.

Example of Sample Survey: Post-Enumeration Survey [P.E.S.] which is conducted shortly after National Census and to ascertain the sources of error.

Others example includes:

1.     Nigerian demographic and health survey [NDHS] which is conducted in 5years interval by the National Population Commission.

2.     National HIV survey usually conducted by NACA etc.

Uses of Sample Survey

1.     Collect vital statistics where the official registration system is inadequate or non existence.

2.     To collect supplementary and demographic and other data where it is not feasible to collect the same from the population census.

3.     To test the accuracy of traditional and conventional sources of demographic data.

4.     To conduct sample Census.

Generally, the quantity of statistics depends largely on the sample and the design of the sample and the way the study carried out.

Ways to Check Error in Sample Survey

A sample needs to be reasonable in size because the larger the sample, the more we can rely on the sample.

Also the sample needs to be taken at random (probability method) in the selection of states, E.A. etc. that is anyone have equal chance of being selected in other to generalize the result.

others sources of demographic data is population registers; population registers are registers that is open to an individual, it is very hard to maintained this, it was tried in Sweden, china, Switzerland, Norway etc.