Census
If we have a population which we want to study, we can either take a small sample of the population (see sampling strategies, or we can take a census of the population.
Census
A census is a survey of an entire population. Every member of the population is included in the census.
Advantages of a census
- A census gives us a complete picture of the population. We can be sure that our results are accurate and representative of the population as a whole.
- It allows us to study anything we want to about the population
- It’s much more accurate than a sample, because we are not relying on a small group of people to represent the population.
- Nobody is left out - results aren’t biased.
Disadvantages of a census
- A census can be very expensive and time-consuming to conduct, especially if the population is large.
- It can be difficult to get everyone in the population to participate in the census, which can lead to incomplete or inaccurate data.
- It can be difficult to anaslyse and interpret the results (takes a long time to process the statistics).
When to use a census
It’s only really a good idea to use a census when either:
- The population is small enough that a census isn’t too hard or expensive to do.
- We need to know everything about the population, and we can’t afford to miss any information (e.g. a census of all the people in a country, to find out how many people there are, and what their ages are).
flashcards
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| census | “A census is a survey of an entire population. Every member of the population is included in the census.” |
| What is the main defined advantage of a census regarding accuracy? | “A census gives us a complete picture of the population. We can be sure that our results are accurate and representative of the population as a whole.” |
| List two specific advantages of a census. | - A census is much more accurate than a sample, because we are not relying on a small group of people to represent the population. - Nobody is left out - results aren’t biased. |
| What is a disadvantage of a census related to participation? | “It can be difficult to get everyone in the population to participate in the census, which can lead to incomplete or inaccurate data.” |
| Why can a census be difficult to analyse? | “It can be difficult to analyse and interpret the results (takes a long time to process the statistics).” |
| When is it a good idea to use a census? | - The population is small enough that a census isn’t too hard or expensive to do. - We need to know everything about the population, and we can’t afford to miss any information (e.g. a census of all the people in a country, to find out how many people there are, and what their ages are). |