random sampling

[George D. Allen]

In response to Javier's email, I just wanted to bring to your
attention, if you don't already know of it, a handy web site for
generating random sequences.  Some of my students used it recently to
select a random sample of 1000 survey recipients from our campus
phone book. They generated 2 sequences of 1000 random numbers, the
first bounded by the first and last page numbers of the phone
listings (41 - 362), the other bounded by 1 and whatever they decided
was a reasonable estimate of the number of names on a page.  The
generator returned the first list sorted from low to high, so they
didn't have to go back and forth in the book; the second list
remained in its original order.  Took about 2 minutes.

      www.randomizer.org
--
George D. Allen <alleng at msu.edu>
Michigan State University College of Nursing
A230 Life Sciences Bldg., E Lansing, MI 48824-1317
Voice: (517) 353-5976; Fax: (517) 353-9553

"We already have distance learning in most university science courses;
it's called the lecture." -- Donald Kennedy, "Science," Vol 293, p. 1557.