What type of sampling involves selecting every tenth name in a directory?

Systematic random sampling is the methodology being described where every nth item is selected from a larger population. In this case, the process involves selecting every tenth name from a directory, which reflects a structured approach to data collection. This technique is particularly useful when a complete list of the population is available, as it allows the analyst to systematically cover the dataset without bias.

This method ensures that the sample is spread out across the entire population, thus mitigating possible clustering effects that might occur in other sampling techniques. It also simplifies the sampling process, making it efficient and straightforward. Other methods like stratified sampling, which involves dividing the population into subgroups based on shared characteristics, or cluster sampling, which entails dividing the population into groups and sampling entire clusters, do not fit the description provided.