Studying an entire population would not only be very costly but also time-consuming and not practical as far as collecting and analyzing the data, that is why selecting a sample representative of the population being studied is essential. Sampling theory determines the most effective way to select a sample that accurately represents such population (Grove, Gray, & Burns, 2015). The population is the group of individuals being studied, such as premature neonates. The sampling criteria is a list of characteristics that refine the population either to include (inclusive sampling criteria) or exclude (exclusive sampling criteria) elements. An example of inclusive sampling criteria could be premature neonates born between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation with a birth weight between 1500 grams and 2500 grams.Nursing Research ; Sampling Theory Assignment Papers.