Cluster Sampling – Cluster sampling is appropriate to use when researchers are not that familiar with the population or the study is not looking for specific areas of a population. Cluster sampling is randomly choosing a group or cluster such as all the members of a church (Visual Learner, n.d.).

Convenience Sampling – Convenience sampling is appropriate to use when researchers are pressed for time or when researchers lack the finances to travel to the desired population. Convenience sampling is forming a test group from the first people the researchers happen to run into that are willing to participate (Visual Learner, n.d.).

Random Sampling – Not every member of the population has the same chance of being selected. If a group is drawing straws to see who gets to do something, the chances of a person drawing the short straw increases the more times people draw (Visual Learner, n.d.).

Simple Random Sampling – Simple random sampling is appropriate to use when specific qualities of members will have no known negative impact on the study results so there just needs to be a smaller group made from the larger group. Simple random sampling selects a population in a way that each member has an equal chance of being selected (Visual Learner, n.d.).

Stratified Sampling – Stratified sampling is appropriate to use when individuals in the population have similar characteristics and you need to separate them into two different groups or if you need to divide the group into age ranges. The different groupings would be called “strata”. Stratified sampling is dividing the population into at least two groups (Visual Learner, n.d.).

Systematic Sampling – Systematic sampling places members in order and then choses each “kth” number based on the size if the population. It is appropriate to use when researchers do not have time to test the entire population (Visual Learner, n.d.).