Jetadiah Brown wants to establish a pet store called Jet's Pets. Jet thinks there is an opportunity in the south side of the city because he knows that many new subdivisions have been built, and many families have bought homes there. Plus, he knows there are no pet stores located on the south side. This growth in the number of families and the lack of competitors strongly suggest a marketing opportunity for
Jet's Pets.
Jet wants to survey the families in two zip code areas. Of course, he cannot survey all of them, so he must use a sample. For each of the following possible ways of selecting a sample of the families living in several subdivisions in two zip code areas:
(1) identify the type of sample method;
(2) identify the sample frame;
(3) indicate what, if any, sample frame error there is; and
(4) indicate the degree to which the resulting sample will be representative of all families living in the two zip code areas.
a. Place questionnaires in veterinarian clinics located in the two zip code areas for pet owners to fill out while they are waiting for the doctor to examine their pet.
b. Select every 100th name in the city telephone book; call and interview only those who live in the two zip code areas.
c. Use a random number system to select a single subdivision located somewhere in the two zip code areas, and then place questionnaires in the mailboxes of every home in the selected subdivision.
d. Announce in the local newspaper a "Cutest Dog Contest" with contestants sending in a photo and address information. Use the contestants who live in the two zip code areas as the sample.
e. Go to the local animal shelter and get the addresses of the past pet adopters who live in the two zip code areas. Send a mail survey to the nearest neighbor's address for each of the addresses obtained from the animal shelter. For example, if the adopter lives at 1 Green Street, send the mail questionnaire to the occupants at 2 Green Street.