Retrieving random records with a query

I've had several students in the past ask about getting random results from a query, so they could review/analyze random data from there tables. For instance, one student was working with a customer service database - tracking calls and solutions provided to customers. Once a week, one person was in charge of calling random customers to get feedback on how the customer service was handled and if the customer was satisfied with the service. The employee would open the database and manually look for random customers to call. This solution provides an easy way to build a query - which could then be formatted with a report - to automatically build a list of any number of customers randomly.

Type the following expression into an empty column in the field row of the query design view:

RandomValue: Rnd([field])

where [field] is any field in the table that contains numeric values - the field can be an AutoNumber, Number, or Date/Time field. Apply a sort order to the RandomValue field, ascending or descending. Use the Top Values dropdown list on the Query Design toolbar to specify how many records to return. If you want a number or percentage that isn't listed, simply enter the desired amount in the Top Values text box. When you run the query, you'll find that Access returns a random selection from the underlying record source.