RE: ID cards - What wasn't mentioned about the results of the consultation exercise

["Owen Lewis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Peter
> Mitchell
> Sent: 02 November 2004 16:21
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: ID cards - What wasn't mentioned about the results of the
> consultation exercise
>
>
> Owen Lewis said:
> >
> > Could you give an example of that? E.g. Population is 75,000. Sample
> > size is 2,500. Sqrt of sample is 50. So forecast accuracy is?
>
> If the population is approximately evenly split, the sample mean will
> "probably" be within 2% of the population mean.
>
> The exact meaning of the word "probably" in this context is not
> straightforward, though.

:-)
>
> And when
> > sample is the same but the population is 750,000,000?
>
> It doesn't matter what the population size is.

That's where I suspect that reality and theory may part company. If I try to
balance a sample of 2500 from a population of 75,000 (a large town), there's
a fair chance that I can do that. Balance the same sized sample for a
population of 750,000? ..... Glad I don't have to try.


Owen