Question

State whether or not the sampling method described produces a random sample from the given population. The population is all people who visit the website \(C N N\).com. All visitors to the website are invited to take part in the daily online poll.

Short answer

No, the sampling method described does not produce a truly random sample from the population of all people who visit the website \(C N N\).com. This is because participation in the daily online poll is not equally likely among all website visitors, despite all being invited.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Sampling Method

In this case, the method used to gather the sample is by inviting all visitors to the website to partake in the daily online poll. This means that the likelihood of being included in the sample isn't random, but dependent upon a visitor choosing to partake in the poll.

Evaluating the Sample

A sample is considered random if every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. While all visitors are invited to take part in the survey, participation is dependent on a visitor's choice to partake in the poll. Thus, not all visitors are equally likely to participate.

Final Verdict

Given the above factors, specifically that selection into the sample is dependent on whether a visitor chooses to participate in the daily online poll, this is not a truly random sample. Even though every visitor is invited, not every visitor is equally likely to participate.