S3 June 2008 Q5

EdexcelOld spec10 marksData Processing

5. A researcher is hired by a cleaning company to survey the opinions of employees on a proposed pension scheme. The company employs 55 managers and 495 cleaners.

To collect data the researcher decides to give a questionnaire to the first 50 cleaners to leave at the end of the day.

(a) Give 2 reasons why this method is likely to produce biased results. (2)
(b) Explain briefly how the researcher could select a sample of 50 employees using
(i) a systematic sample,
(ii) a stratified sample. (6)

Using the random number tables in the formulae book, and starting with the top left hand corner (8) and working across, 50 random numbers between 1 and 550 inclusive were selected. The first two suitable numbers are 384 and 100.

(c) Find the next two suitable numbers. (2)