What does convenience sampling prioritize in participant selection?

Convenience sampling prioritizes the easiest access to participants when selecting individuals for a study. This method involves choosing subjects that are readily available, often due to their proximity or availability, rather than employing a systematic approach or random selection. The primary advantage of convenience sampling is that it saves time and resources, allowing researchers to gather data quickly without extensive planning.

While this approach can be useful in exploratory research or pilot studies, it can lead to biased results because it does not ensure that the sample accurately reflects the broader population. This lack of randomness means that the findings might not be generalizable to the entire population, which is a crucial factor to consider when evaluating the validity of research outcomes.

Other sampling methods, such as random sampling, focus on achieving unbiased results by ensuring that every individual in a population has an equal chance of selection, while stratification aims to represent various subgroups within the population. However, convenience sampling specifically focuses on accessibility, making it distinct among sampling techniques.