Problemy metodyczne doboru próby badawczej na przykładzie przedsiębiorstw przemysłu spożywczego

One of the most important issues during scientific research is to define a proper sample for measurement and assessment. While the general sample is very large it is impossible to examine it entirely and various ways of selecting the sample are used. Secondly, the sample should be stable within the research period in order to ensure the comparability of results. The problem arises when the sample is different in number within the period due to the very nature of it. The authors deals with such set of circumstances when the sample varies in time, it is relatively small in size yet it is the total number of cases of such characteristics. The question arises how to treat this population in a scientific way. The article shows a number of doubts with a number of possible solutions of this case. Using the definitions from the different sources and comparing them to the case the authors come to the conclusion that despite an instability within the period and despite the relatively low number of cases within the sample it can be used for proper scientific research because of the nature of the scientific process and because it comprises the entire population