Population refers to the entire set of individuals, items, or data points that you are interested in studying. It represents the complete group from which you want to draw conclusions.
Examples
All students in a university
Every product in a warehouse
All residents of a city
Characteristics
Every individual has the same probability of being included in the sample.
Selection is typically done using random number generators or drawing names from a hat.
Related Concepts
Sampling Frame: A list or database that includes all members of the population from which the sample is drawn.
Sampling Error: The difference between the results obtained from a sample and the actual parameters of the population. It is inherent in the sampling process and can be minimized with proper sampling techniques.
Stratified Sampling: A method that divides the population into subgroups (strata) and then randomly samples from each subgroup. This ensures representation across key variables.