Selection bias
Also called: sampling bias
ELI5
The people studied are not representative of the people you care about.
Used in conversation
“Opt-in beta users create selection bias.”
Definition
Distortion caused when included participants differ systematically from the population of interest.
Here “Selection bias” means: Distortion caused when included participants differ systematically from the population of interest.
Pitch context
You will see “Selection bias” in product strategy decks, roadmaps, experiments and architecture reviews when the discussion reaches experiments, testing & rollout.
Why it matters: It helps a reader interpret experiments, testing & rollout without confusing the measure, decision, role or evidence being discussed.
Connected terms
- Sampling biasThe search label “Sampling bias” can route to both entries.
Sources & evidence · 2
Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.
- Scrum Guides — The Scrum Guide — official current versionSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- National Institute of Standards and Technology — Computer Security Resource Center GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16