September 29, 2024
Jerry Arbittier
Critical terms to help you succeed Field Department 101: Essential Vocabulary
Congratulations on landing your first job in the field department of a Healthcare marketing research company! While you may have a basic understanding of marketing research or statistics from college courses, you might be unsure about the role of the field department. As you dive in, you’ll discover that one of your main responsibilities is to find high-quality respondents—sometimes challenging ones—within specific timeframes and budgets. You’ll likely need to collaborate with seasoned professionals, including those with PhDs and extensive experience in the field who design the surveys and analyze the results. They will depend on you to provide them with the correct set of respondents to their surveys.
To help you communicate effectively and gain confidence in these conversations, here are 10 statistical terms that are essential but not typically learned in college that you should familiarize yourself with.
10 Statisical Terms
1. Sampling Frame
——
The source or list from which the sample is drawn. For example, a customer database or a list of phone numbers. A well-defined sampling frame is critical for minimizing bias.
2. Sampling Error
——
The difference between the sample results and the true population values, which occurs due to the fact that the sample is only a portion of the population. It is important to recognize the difference between Sampling Error and Bias.
3. Bias
——
Systematic errors that affect the results of the research. Common types of bias include:
• Selection Bias The sample is not representative of the population.
• Response Bias Respondents provide inaccurate or false answers.
• Nonresponse Bias Certain groups are underrepresented because they do not respond to the survey.
4. Random Sampling
——
Each member of the population has an equal and non-zero chance of being selected.
5. Stratified Sampling
——
The population is divided into subgroups (strata) and random samples are taken from each stratum.
6. Cluster Sampling
——
The population is divided into clusters, and entire clusters are randomly selected.
7. Convenience Sampling
——
Samples are taken from a group that is easy to access. This is the most common sampling technique used in healthcare marketing research. While sample is randomly selected, the fact that so few healthcare professionals are willing to participate, some argue the sample process is similar to selecting respondents without a proper sampling frame.
8. Quota Sampling
——
Sampling is done to meet a pre-specified quota for different subgroups.
9. Trend Sampling
——
A group of subjects is surveyed repeatedly over time.
10. Probability Sampling
——
A method where every member of the population has a known (non-zero) chance of being selected, which helps in reducing bias.