Problem
I. Give several examples of situations in which it would be better to take a census of the population rather than a sample.
II. Critique the following methodologies and suggest more appropriate alternatives:
i. A supermarket is interested in determining its image. Cashiers drop a short questionnaire into the grocery bag of each customer prior to bagging the groceries.
ii. To assess the extent of its trade area, a shopping mall station interviewers in the parking lot every Monday and Friday evening. After people park their cars, interviewers walk up to them and ask them for their zip codes.
iii. To assess the potential for new horror movies starring alien robots, a major studio invites people to call a 900 number and vote yes if they would like to see such movies or no if they would not. Each caller was billed a $2 charge.
III. Why has big data analytics become so popular with firms like United Airlines, American Express, and Ford Motor Company? Discuss.