Stichprofframe

Stichprofframe is a term used in survey methodology and statistics to describe the structured list or set of units from which a sample is drawn. It is also commonly referred to as the sample frame, a concept that defines the actual target population in a measurable and accessible form. The frame provides the foundation for many types of probability and non‑probability sampling designs.

The purpose of a Stichprofframe is to ensure that every element of the intended population has a known chance of selection. In practice, it serves as the base for randomization procedures, stratification, clustering, and weighting adjustments. A well‑constructed frame helps to reduce coverage error by matching the sampling plan to the true structure of the population.

Typical sources of a Stichprofframe include telephone directories, voter registration lists, business registries, administrative dossiers, or digital data sets generated by organizational database systems. In many modern surveys, the frame is compressed and updated using electronic registration data, tax records, or big‑data tools. However, when such sources are incomplete or costly, auxiliary frames such as address lists or sampling from census data may be used.

Key properties of an effective Stichprofframe are completeness, accuracy, and timeliness. Inadequate frames can produce biased estimates, whereas a rich sufficient frame supports efficient allocation of sampling resources and reliable inference. Researchers routinely document frame construction in survey reports, noting potential limitations that might affect the generalizability of findings.