Sampling Strategies for Substance Abuse Research

This chapter lays the framework and establishes standard terminology used in the development of sample designs for substance abuse research studies. The main focus is probability-based population surveys, but the chapter also touches on non-probability sample studies that do not involve producing estimates that are representative of specific populations of inference. A general description of the process of determining the most appropriate sampling strategies is included at the beginning of the chapter, followed by more specific discussions of different types of studies. Unique problems in sampling for substance abuse studies are highlighted. Real-world examples of sample designs for substance abuse studies are described, with references giving more detailed information.