n. a sampling strategy in which certain subsets of participants are overrepresented in a study group compared to the larger population from which they are drawn. Oversampling involves deliberately selecting greater numbers of such participants than would be obtained via random sampling so as to enhance the accuracy of parameter values estimated through statistical procedures. For example, a researcher selecting firefighters from a candidate pool might include equal numbers of males and females to ensure a sufficient sample of females for statistical analysis, even though males comprise the majority of firefighters in the pool.