A primary application is area sampling, where clusters are city block or other well-defined areas. Here this article gives information about the Advantages and disadvantages of cluster sampling to know more details about it.
Advantages of cluster sampling :
- Sampling form is not required
- Simple
- Chip and quick
- Easy
- Less travel
- Lower field cost
- The close proximity of element can be cost-effective
- Enable sampling of a group of an individual for which details on individuals themselves may not be available
- Simple as a complete list of sampling unit within a population not required
- This can be reduced travel and other administrative costs
- In this sampling cut down on the cost of a preparing sampling frame
- Less resource required
Disadvantages of cluster sampling :
- Imprecise if unit within clusters are homogeneous
- Lowest precision
- The method generally requires a larger total sample size than simple or stratified random sampling
- Cluster member may be more alike than those in other clusters
- This needs to be taken into account into the sample size and in the analysis
- Sampling error is too much higher for a simple random sample of the same size
- Often used to evaluate vaccination coverage in EPI