What Is Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation?
When you cite a sample size from the Raosoft calculator, reviewers want to see the inputs and the formula, not only the number. The inputs are population size, margin of error, confidence level and response distribution.
Enter those four values. The calculator returns the minimum sample size, the steps of n = N·x ÷ ((N − 1)E² + x) with x = Z²·p(1 − p), a reporting table and a methods sentence you can adapt.
This page does not provide an official citation for Raosoft. Cite the tool in the style your institution or journal requires and add the date you accessed it.
How to Use the Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation Calculator
- Enter the population size.
- Enter the margin of error, confidence level and response distribution.
- Copy the methods sentence and adapt it.
- Cite the tool in your required style, with the access date.
Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation Formula
Sample size with finite population
Helper term
Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation Variables Explained
| Symbol | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| N | Population size | |
| E | Margin of error | |
| Z | Normal critical value for the confidence level | |
| p | Response distribution |
Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation Worked Example
For N = 1500, E = 5%, 95% confidence and p = 50%: Z = 1.96, so x = 3.8416 × 0.25 = 0.9604. Then n = 1500 × 0.9604 ÷ (1499 × 0.0025 + 0.9604) = 1440.6 ÷ 4.7079 = 306.0, which rounds up to 306 respondents.
With the example values loaded in the calculator above, the steps are:
- Z for 95% confidence = 1.96.
- x = Z² × p(1 − p) = 1.96² × 0.5 × 0.5 = 0.960365.
- n = N·x ÷ ((N − 1)·E² + x) = 1500 × 0.96036 ÷ (1499 × 0.0025 + 0.96036) = 305.99.
- Round up to 306.
- Report the inputs, the formula and the date you ran the calculation. Name the tool you used in the way your style guide asks.
Result: Minimum sample size = 306.
How to Read the Result and What to Report
The minimum sample size is the smallest number of completed responses that meets your margin of error at your confidence level. With a population of 1,500, a 5% margin, 95% confidence and a 50% response distribution, the answer is 306.
A reviewer will want the four inputs, the formula and the final number. The table on this page lists them in order, and the methods sentence puts them into a paragraph you can adapt. This page does not supply an official citation for the Raosoft tool, so follow your own style guide for how to cite software.
Where Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation Is Used
Thesis methods section
Get the sample size and a sentence describing how it was calculated.
Journal papers
Report every input so reviewers can reproduce the number.
Grant proposals
Justify the planned number of respondents.
Ethics applications
State the basis for the sample size.
Common Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation Mistakes to Avoid
- Report all four inputs: population, margin of error, confidence level and response distribution.
- Round the sample size up, never down.
- Cite the tool in the style your institution requires, with the date you used it.
- Plan for non-response by inviting more people than the minimum.
Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation Terms and Definitions
- Response distribution
- The expected share of respondents giving a particular answer. Using 50% is the conservative choice.
Raosoft Sample Size Calculator Citation FAQs
How do I cite the Raosoft sample size calculator?
Follow your institution’s or journal’s rule for web tools and add the date you used it. In the text, report the formula and every input so the number can be reproduced.
What formula does Raosoft use?
The standard finite-population formula n = N·x ÷ ((N − 1)E² + x) with x = Z²·p(1 − p), which is what this page computes.
What should I put in my methods section?
The population size, margin of error, confidence level, response distribution, the formula and the resulting sample size.