Sample size

Everything You Needed to Know About How to Calculate Sample Size

by Ivana Taylor  

 

 

Online survey software is a vital tool for businesses that are interested in receiving helpful feedback from their customers, potential clients and other individuals, and creating a great web survey can be critical to the success of any business.You can create the best survey in the world with high-quality survey software, however, but if your survey sample size is too large or too small, or is directed toward the wrong audience, the results may be inaccurate. Maximize the accuracy of your next survey with a thorough understanding of how to calculate sample size.

How to Calculate Sample Size

Before you decide on the exact number of individuals to include in your survey, there are a few factors that you should take into consideration. Here is an article that explains these factors in depth and how to determine the best sample size for your survey, but you will find a basic rundown of the process below.

Factors to consider include:

• Objective of the Survey:  If you are interested in using the results of your survey to make a big decision or you plan to project the results on a larger population, the sample size is critical. If, however, you are merely using the results to get a feel for a specific group’s preferences the size of your sample may not be as important.
• Diversity: How diverse is the population of individuals or groups you wish to survey? While similar respondents can typically be surveyed using a smaller sample size, surveys that require a more diverse population will receive more accurate results with a larger sample size.
• Accuracy: How critical is the accuracy of your survey results? Sample size and targeted audience can play a significant role in the accuracy of your survey. For example, if you are planning to use the results of your survey to make a large investment or make a decision that will affect a large population, the accuracy of your survey is likely extremely important and a larger sample size is essential.
• Rate of Response:  In order to target the most effective sample size for your survey, you should first consider the number of respondents you will need as well as the willingness of your audience to participate in your survey. If you estimate that only 50% of your audience will respond, and you need at least 100 respondents for example, you will likely need to target a minimum of 200 individuals.
• Audience: Another factor that should be considered when it comes to how to calculate sample size is the audience itself. You wouldn’t want to target homeowners when surveying about the quality of local apartment life, for example. If you send out a survey that is targeted toward a specific audience that is qualified to provide accurate answers, your sample size may not need to be as large as it would be if you decided to survey random individuals in the area.

Once you have reviewed the above factors, it’s time to calculate your sample size. This sample size calculator is an excellent free tool that is designed to help users determine the most effective sample size based on the population to be studied and the confidence level you wish to achieve. When combined with the data from the factors above, the calculator can help you pinpoint a much more accurate estimate of the size of your sample.