Fieldwork sampling — Geography, 11–13
How geographers collect a fair set of observations instead of measuring everything. Geography, 11–13 years.
A fair sample
In fieldwork, you usually cannot measure every tree, person or passing car. A sample is a smaller group chosen to stand for the whole area. Good sampling spreads observations fairly, so your results are not based only on the easiest places to reach.
Why sample?
Sampling solves a practical problem: a whole town or coastline is too large to measure completely in one investigation. Geographers use random, systematic or stratified choices to reduce bias. The method matters because a neat-looking average can still be misleading if your sample leaves out a whole type of place.
Worked example: counting litter
A class wants the average number of litter items along a 500-metre beach. They divide it into ten equal sections and randomly choose sections 2, 5, 7 and 9. Counts are 18, 25, 11 and 26, so the sample total is 80 and the average is 80 ÷ 4 = 20 items per section. Since there are ten sections, they estimate about 200 items for the beach.
The easy-place trap
A common mistake is to sample only beside the entrance, path or school gate. That feels sensible because those places are quick and safe to measure, but they may be unusually busy or clean. If the question concerns the whole area, compare different zones or use a planned selection instead.
Where it is used
Councils sample traffic speeds, noise levels and recycling habits instead of checking every street or household. Scientists sample soil, water or wildlife to monitor change. You meet the same idea when a poll asks a carefully chosen group of people about a much larger population.
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