Sample survey

A sample survey is a statistical technique that allows investigators to describe or characterize an entirety, like a stream network, or the lakes or wetlands in a region, without having to sample everywhere in that entirety. Sample surveys rely on selecting part of the resource of interest, characterizing that part, and then making inferences to the entirety. Sample surveys are especially useful if a census of the resource cannot be conducted (i.e., too expensive; too time consuming; technically not feasible...) A sample survey is a survey which is carried out using a sampling method, i.e. in which a portion only, and not the whole population is surveyed. OECD Source: The International Statistical Institute, "The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms", edited by Yadolah Dodge, Oxford University Press, 2003.