[Air-L] Sampling facebook pages

[Annette Markham]

Hi Noha,

Not sure what you’ve already done to establish the most appropriate sampling plan, but off the top of my head systematic is not part of random sampling.  You’re probably doing a purposeful sampling. Are you taking a qualitative or quantitative orientation to the analysis? That makes a difference in how you’ll describe (and conduct) the sample.

As for further reading:  Because these two books are sitting open on my desk, I can recommend these basic introductions to sampling concepts and terms:

Sarah Tracy’s textbook on qualitative research methods:  covers different qualitative sampling strategies (in the chapter on interviewing). http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-EHEP002631.html 
I’ve shared a screenshot of her summary of types of sampling here, but the larger section is much more detailed: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6jmm7th5mbl0jfz/tracysamplingchart.png?dl=0
 
Donald Treadwell’s textbook on introducing Communication Research: presents positivist and interpretivist notions of sampling.  http://www.sagepub.com/textbooks/Book237564
You can see a copy of Treadwell's chapter on sampling here:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/0320vm66m0gec2w/Treadwellch8Sampling.pdf?dl=0

and here’s a nice piece that cuts deeper into the ideas and complexity of qualitative sampling:
http://corcom300-s12-lay.wikispaces.umb.edu/file/view/ARTICLE_Sampling_Qualitative.pdf

 Best,

annette

On 14 Sep 2014, at 11:22, Noha Nagi <noha.a.nagi at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Professors and colleagues,
> 
> I was wondering if there are different sampling methods for internet data
> than the already known sampling methods.
> 
> For my research, I was thinking of taking a *systematic random sample* from
> facebook posts on a each of four facebook pages. I have no information
> about the heterogeneity between the different pages according to any
> variable (gender, political affiliation...) so I thought it is not
> stratified nor cluster, and it will be more likely a systematic sample.
> 
> 
>    Is systematic sampling* logically right*?
> 
>    Did any one come across *other sampling techniques for facebook pages*?
> or internet data in general?
> 
>    Can anyone suggest *a book to read about this*?
> 
> 
> I would love to hear any advice from you.
> 
> 
> Yours,
> *Noha A.Nagi*
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