Judgemental sampling is a sampling method where the researcher selects people, companies, or observations based on their own judgement.

It is also called purposive sampling.

In this method, the sample is not selected randomly. The researcher chooses the sample because they believe those selected units are most useful for the study.

What Judgemental Sampling Means

In judgemental sampling, the researcher uses experience, knowledge, or expertise to decide who should be included in the sample.

For example, if a researcher wants to study the opinion of experienced equity analysts, they may directly select analysts who have worked in the market for many years.

They will not randomly pick people from the general public.

The idea is to choose respondents who can provide relevant and meaningful information.

Simple Example

Suppose a finance institute wants feedback on its CFA preparation course.

Instead of asking random students from all courses, the institute may select:

Students who recently appeared for the CFA exam
Students who completed the full course
Students who attended most of the classes
Students who have already cleared CFA Level 1

The institute selects these students because their feedback is likely to be more useful.

This is judgemental sampling.

The sample is chosen based on the judgement of the researcher, not by random selection.

Real Life Context

Think about a company planning to launch a new premium investment product.

The company does not want feedback from every type of customer.

It wants feedback from people who already invest in mutual funds, PMS, AIFs, bonds, or equity markets.

So, the research team may select a small group of financially aware investors and advisors.

These people are more likely to understand the product, pricing, risk, and expected return.

The company uses their feedback to improve the product before launch.

This is a real-life use of judgemental sampling.

Why Judgemental Sampling is Used

Judgemental sampling is useful when the researcher wants information from a specific group.

It saves time because the researcher does not have to collect responses from a large random population.

It is also useful when only a few people have the required knowledge.

For example, if someone is studying private equity deal-making, it makes sense to speak with investment bankers, fund managers, lawyers, and due diligence professionals.

Random people may not give useful answers for such a topic.

Advantages of Judgemental Sampling

Judgemental sampling is simple and practical.

It helps the researcher focus on people who are most relevant to the study.

It can be useful when the population is small, specialised, or difficult to access.

It is also helpful in exploratory research, where the goal is to understand a topic deeply rather than make broad statistical conclusions.

For interviews, expert opinions, market studies, and early-stage research, this method can work well.

Limitations of Judgemental Sampling

The biggest limitation is bias.

Since the researcher decides who to include, the sample may reflect the researchers own assumptions.

Another issue is that the results cannot be easily generalised to the full population.

For example, if a company takes feedback only from experienced investors, it cannot assume that all retail investors will think the same way.

Judgemental sampling does not provide the same statistical strength as probability sampling because every member of the population does not have a known chance of selection.

Judgemental Sampling vs Random Sampling

In random sampling, every member of the population has a known chance of being selected.

In judgemental sampling, the researcher selects the sample based on relevance and judgement.

Random sampling is better when the goal is statistical inference.

Judgemental sampling is better when the goal is expert insight, focused feedback, or exploratory understanding.

Both methods have their place, but they serve different purposes.

Example in Finance

Suppose an analyst wants to understand why small businesses prefer private credit over bank loans.

Instead of surveying random people, the analyst may speak with:

Small business owners
Private credit fund managers
Bank loan officers
Financial advisors
Credit analysts

These people are selected because they understand the issue closely.

The sample may not represent the whole economy, but it can provide useful insight into the topic.

Final Thoughts

Judgemental sampling is a non-random sampling method where the researcher selects the sample based on their own understanding of who is most relevant.

It is useful when expert opinion or focused feedback is needed.

But it also carries the risk of bias and should not be used when the goal is broad statistical generalisation.

The simple way to remember it is this:

Judgemental sampling means selecting the sample based on judgement, not chance.