
%0 Journal Article
%A McIntyre, GA 
%T A method for unbiased selective sampling, using ranked sets
%J Australian Journal of Agricultural Research
%D 1952/12/01
%V 3
%N 4
%P 385-390
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/AR9520385
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AR9520385 
%X A new method of sampling is described. Take the largest in the first of n sets, each of n random items, the second largest in the second set, and so on to the smallest in the nth set. The sample of n items selected in this way is an unbiased sample of the population. For typical unimodal distributions the mean of such a sample is slightly less than (n + 1)/2 times more efficient than the mean of n items taken at random. The application of the ranked sample method to pasture measurement is discussed. 
