Leveraging Geospatial Techniques and Publicly Available Datasets to Develop a Cost-Effective, Digitized National Sampling Frame

A Case Study of Armenia

Bibliographic Data

ID22033887
AuthorsSaida Ismailakhunova (World Bank), Avralt-Od Purevjav (0000-0003-0721-0361, World Bank), Tsenguunjav Byambasuren (0000-0002-0961-1014, Trinity College Dublin), Sarchil H Qader (University of Southampton), Sarchil Qader (0000-0001-7866-1296, University of Human Development, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume15
Issue4
Pages145
Publication date2026-03-26
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2220-9964 • E-ISSN: 2220-9964
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/ijgi15040145
OpenAlexW7140383384
LanguageEN
References cited26

The lack of a reliable national sampling frame poses a major challenge for conducting representative population and household surveys, particularly in developing countries affected by displacement and rapid territorial change. This study addresses this gap by developing Armenia’s first digitized national sampling frame, where accessible survey frames are severely limited. We introduce an innovative pre-EA tool to semi-automatically construct the digital sampling frame using publicly available datasets. Compared with traditional approaches, this method outperforms in several ways: it enables rapid, semi-automated frame construction, minimizes resource requirements, eliminates geometric errors associated with manual digitization, and produces pre-census EAs (pre-EAs) that both nest within administrative boundaries and align with visible ground features. The approach also integrates gridded population data to reflect recent urbanization and migration, generating pre-census EAs and urban–rural classifications suitable for national surveys. The sampling frame was successfully applied in the World Bank’s “Listening to Armenia” survey. Overall, the study demonstrates that automated, data-driven approaches can efficiently produce accurate, scalable, and adaptable national sampling frames, offering potential utility in other countries facing similar constraints

Geospatial analysis · Population · Sampling frame · Urbanization · Geographic Information Systems Studies · Human Mobility and Location-Based Analysis · Impact of Light on Environment and Health

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access