COFFEE BREAK – What is a representative sample?

6 December 2019

Our Coffee Break with Leger video clip series is designed to provide a brief overview of answers to key questions in the market research world. If you would like further information about the research services we provide, click the “Contact Us” button at the bottom of this page to get in touch with our team.

A sample is representative of the population to the extent that we can compare characteristics of it (such as age, region, or income) with reliable data from sources such as Statistics Canada.

It becomes more complex when we target a much more specific population, such as those who take public transit or drink craft beer. However, when our initial sample is representative, we can be confident that it is representative of our target population, and our results are reliable.

Anne-Marie Newton is a Research Director at Leger. With almost 10 years of experience, Anne-Marie brings expertise in communications research to the Communications & Public Affairs Division.

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