Sampling Gate — The Sample Decides Who the Answer Is About

Skill type: DISCIPLINE-ENFORCING. Before a single case is collected, this gate fixes three things — the frame, the method, and the size logic — and ties the generalization claim to them. It does not run the study or pick the test; it refuses to let sizing and recruitment happen by habit.

The Core Rule

WHO YOU SAMPLE AND HOW MANY MUST FOLLOW THE INFERENCE YOU WANT —
POWER FOR TESTS, PRECISION FOR ESTIMATES, SATURATION FOR THEORY.
A BIGGER N NEVER FIXES A BROKEN FRAME.