One of the most difficult things that I experienced when using simple random sampling as the method of gathering data was the inaccessibility of some areas. The research was aimed at estimating the population of wasps in the region. However, some of the areas had dense bushes, and as a result, accessing them was a challenge. Secondly, there was a seasonality in the variation of the sample of the wasps that were collected every day, more so because of the temperature. In this case, when it was warm, more wasps came out, and when it was cold, fewer wasps came out. As a result, this would create some false results about the wasp population if the sample was taken on one day. Another factor that was challenging was the behavioral factors. In this case, the wasps sometimes become violent, and they sting. During the sampling, I got strung twice when counting the wasps and navigating the dense bushes to access their habitats.
Yikes! getting stung isn’t fun
Yes I think in your Discussion you can talk about the temperature change – ‘ideally’, the research could be carried out during times when there is a limit to temperature change or variation in the day. That could become part of a protocol
Access can be an issue with any study, and at the same time, we have to be careful we don’t only sample the easily accessible areas.
Thanks for sharing your adventures!
Hi! Firstly, your hypothesis could be more descriptive. You mention you are estimating populations of wasps in a region, but don’t include where the region is or the size. Evidentially, examining a large region can be tedious and can increase room for error (i.e count wasps more than once). Hence, I suggest collecting data from a smaller region. This would also help with your accessibility issue. Another option to consider is potentially comparing the abundance of wasps on warm days vs cool days.