Given below are some statements. Read them carefully and choose the correct statement (s) from the given options.

Statement 1: Universe in statistics means totality of the items under study.

Statement 2: The first task in selecting a sample is to select an appropriate method of studying the population.

Only Statement 1 is correct.

The correct answer is option 1: Only Statement 1 is correct.

Statement 1: Universe in statistics means totality of the items under study. This is correct.

Statement 2: The first task in selecting a sample is to select an appropriate method of studying the population. This is incorrect. The first task in selecting a sample is to identify the population

Population or the Universe in statistics means totality of the items under study. Thus, the Population or the Universe is a group to which the results of the study are intended to apply. A population is always all the individuals/items who possess certain characteristics (or a set of characteristics), according to the purpose of the survey. The first task in selecting a sample is to identify the population. Once the population is identified, the researcher selects a method of studying it. If the researcher finds that survey of the whole population is not possible, then he/ she may decide to select a Representative Sample. A sample refers to a group or section of the population from which information is to be obtained. A good sample (representative sample) is generally smaller than the population and is capable of providing reasonably accurate information about the population at a much lower cost and shorter time.