Which of the following best characterizes a snowball sample?Multiple choice question.illegitimate representativecorrelationalnonrandom

Analyzing the Question

1. Understanding Snowball Sampling: Snowball sampling is a non-probability sampling technique where existing study subjects recruit future subjects from among their acquaintances. This method is often used in populations that are hard to access.

2. Identifying Answer Choices:

   • Illegitimate: This term does not accurately describe snowball sampling, as it does not inherently imply any illegitimacy.
   • Representative: While snowball sampling can provide insights into a population, it often lacks true representativeness due to its non-random nature.
   • Correlational: This term relates more to the nature of relationships between variables rather than to sampling methods.
   • Nonrandom: Snowball sampling does not use random selection, which is a key characteristic of this method.

Final Answer

The best characterization of a snowball sample is nonrandom.