Snowball Sampling and Its Non-Trivial Nature

Abstract

Snowball sampling (SS) is one of the popular methods of sampling in social research. The history of the development and implementation of this sampling model sheds light on the conditions of the evolution of the idea of sampling from hidden or hard-to-reach human populations. The seemingly uncomplicated procedure is the source of the method's popularity but also leads to its caricatured forms. This article presents selected elements of the theoretical basis of snowball sampling in its original version and its role in the development of theory related to sampling hard-to-reach populations based on chains of relationships. Special attention is given to the issue of sample representativeness and the conditions for determining the sample size obtained through snowball sampling. The aim of the presentation is to highlight the rational possibilities that the snowball sampling model offers for observational studies on education.