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Quota sampling

Quota sampling is a type of non-probability sampling technique. Non-probability sampling focuses on sampling techniques that are based on the judgement of the researcher [see our article Non-probability sampling to learn more about non-probability sampling]. This article explains (a) what quota sampling is (b) how to create a quota sample and (c) the ad!antages and disad!antages "limitations# of quota sampling.

Quota sampling explained $reating a quota sample %d!antages and disad!antages "limitations# of quota sampling

Quota sampling explained &magine that a researcher wants to understand more about the career goals of students at the 'ni!ersity of (ath. )et*s say that the uni!ersity has roughly +, ,,, students. These +, ,,, students are our population "N#. &n order to understand more about this population we only need to examine a sample "n# of students not the whole population of +, ,,, students. -urthermore sometimes we are interested in particular strata "groups# within the population. Therefore the quota sample in!ol!es di!iding the population into two or more strata "groups#. These strata are expressed as H. -or example imagine we were interested in comparing the differences in career goals between male and female students at the 'ni!ersity of (ath. &f this was the case we would want to ensure that the sample we selected had a proportional number of male and female students relati!e to the population. Therefore the total number of male and female students included in our quota would only be equal if . ,,, students from the uni!ersity were male and the other . ,,, students were female. /ince this is unli0ely to be the case the number of units that should be selected for each stratum "that is the number of male and female students selected# will !ary. 1e explain how this is achie!ed in the next section2 $reating a quota sample. Creating a quota sample To create a quota sample there are three steps2 (a) choosing the rele!ant stratification and di!iding the population accordingly3 (b) calculating a quota for each stratum3 and (c) continuing to in!ite cases until the quota for each stratum is met.

/T45 6N42 $hoose the rele!ant stratification and di!ide the population accordingly /T45 T162 $alculate a quota for each stratum /T45 T78442 $ontinue to in!ite cases until the quota for each stratum is met

STEP ONE Choose the rele ant strati!ication and di ide the population accordingl"

&f we wanted to loo0 at the differences in male and female students this would mean choosing gender as the stratification but it could similarly in!ol!e choosing students from different subjects "e.g. social sciences medicine engineering education etc.# year groups or some other !ariable"s#.
STEP T#O Calculate a quota !or each stratum

The number of cases that should be included in each stratum will !ary depending on the ma0e-up of each stratum within the population. &f we were to examine the differences in male and female students for example the number of students from each group that we would include in the sample would be based on the proportion of male and female students amongst the +, ,,, uni!ersity students. -or example if there were 9 ,,, male students "9,: of the total# and ; ,,, female students ";,: of the total# our sample would need to be made up of 9,: males and ;,: females. &f our desired sample si<e was +,, students this would mean our sample should include 9, male students and ;, female students.
STEP T$%EE Continue to in ite cases until the quota !or each stratum is met

6nce you ha!e selected the number of cases you need in each stratum you simply need to 0eep in!iting participants to ta0e part in your research until each of these quotas are filled.

/ampling as part of your dissertation= 8ead our guide...


$lic0 here &d antages and disad antages (limitations) o! quota sampling
&d antages o! quota sampling

Quota sampling is particularly useful when you are unable to obtain a probability sample but you are still trying to create a sample that is as representati!e as possible of the population being studied. &n this respect it is the non-probability based equi!alent of the stratified random sample. 'nli0e probability sampling techniques especially stratified random sampling quota sampling is much quic0er and easier to carry out because it does not require a sampling frame and the strict use of random sampling techniques. This ma0es it popular in undergraduate and master*s le!el dissertations where there is a need to di!ide the population being studied into strata "groups#. The quota sample impro!es the representation of particular strata "groups# within the population as well as ensuring that these strata are not o!er-represented. -or example it would ensure that we ha!e sufficient male students ta0ing part in the research "9,: of our sample si<e of +,,3 hence 9, male students#. &t would also ma0e sure we did not ha!e more than 9, male students which would result in an o!er-representation of male students in our research.

The use of a quota sample which leads to the stratification of a sample "e.g. male and female students# allows us to more easily compare these groups "strata#.
'isad antages o! quota sampling

&n quota sampling the sample has not been chosen using random selection which ma0es it impossible to determine the possible sampling error. &ndeed it is possible that the selection of units to be included in the sample will be based on ease of access and cost considerations resulting in sampling bias. &t also means that it is not possible to ma0e statistical inferences from the sample to the population. This can lead to problems of generalisation. &t must be possible to clearly di!ide the population into strata3 that is each unit from the population must only belong to one stratum. &n our example this would be fairly simple since our strata are male and female students. $learly a student could only be classified as either male or female. No student could fit into both categories "ignoring transgender issues#. -urthermore imagine extending the sampling requirements such that we were also interested in how career goals changed depending on whether a student was an undergraduate or graduate. /ince the strata must be mutually exclusi!e this means that we would need to sample four strata from the population2 undergraduate males undergraduate females graduate males and graduate females. This will increase o!erall sample si<e required for the research which can increase costs and time to carry out the research.

Quota sampling
Quota sampling is a type of non-probability sampling technique. Non-probability sampling focuses on sampling techniques that are based on the judgement of the researcher [see our article Non-probability sampling to learn more about non-probability sampling]. This article explains (a) what quota sampling is (b) how to create a quota sample and (c) the ad!antages and disad!antages "limitations# of quota sampling.

Quota sampling explained $reating a quota sample %d!antages and disad!antages "limitations# of quota sampling

Quota sampling explained &magine that a researcher wants to understand more about the career goals of students at the 'ni!ersity of (ath. )et*s say that the uni!ersity has roughly +, ,,, students. These +, ,,, students are our population "N#. &n order to understand more about this population we only need to examine a sample "n# of students not the whole population of +, ,,, students. -urthermore sometimes we are interested in particular strata "groups# within the population. Therefore the quota sample in!ol!es di!iding the population into two or more strata "groups#. These strata are expressed as H.

-or example imagine we were interested in comparing the differences in career goals between male and female students at the 'ni!ersity of (ath. &f this was the case we would want to ensure that the sample we selected had a proportional number of male and female students relati!e to the population. Therefore the total number of male and female students included in our quota would only be equal if . ,,, students from the uni!ersity were male and the other . ,,, students were female. /ince this is unli0ely to be the case the number of units that should be selected for each stratum "that is the number of male and female students selected# will !ary. 1e explain how this is achie!ed in the next section2 $reating a quota sample. Creating a quota sample To create a quota sample there are three steps2 (a) choosing the rele!ant stratification and di!iding the population accordingly3 (b) calculating a quota for each stratum3 and (c) continuing to in!ite cases until the quota for each stratum is met.

/T45 6N42 $hoose the rele!ant stratification and di!ide the population accordingly /T45 T162 $alculate a quota for each stratum /T45 T78442 $ontinue to in!ite cases until the quota for each stratum is met

STEP ONE Choose the rele ant strati!ication and di ide the population accordingl"

&f we wanted to loo0 at the differences in male and female students this would mean choosing gender as the stratification but it could similarly in!ol!e choosing students from different subjects "e.g. social sciences medicine engineering education etc.# year groups or some other !ariable"s#.
STEP T#O Calculate a quota !or each stratum

The number of cases that should be included in each stratum will !ary depending on the ma0e-up of each stratum within the population. &f we were to examine the differences in male and female students for example the number of students from each group that we would include in the sample would be based on the proportion of male and female students amongst the +, ,,, uni!ersity students. -or example if there were 9 ,,, male students "9,: of the total# and ; ,,, female students ";,: of the total# our sample would need to be made up of 9,: males and ;,: females. &f our desired sample si<e was +,, students this would mean our sample should include 9, male students and ;, female students.
STEP T$%EE Continue to in ite cases until the quota !or each stratum is met

6nce you ha!e selected the number of cases you need in each stratum you simply need to 0eep in!iting participants to ta0e part in your research until each of these quotas are filled.

/ampling as part of your dissertation= 8ead our guide...


$lic0 here &d antages and disad antages (limitations) o! quota sampling
&d antages o! quota sampling

Quota sampling is particularly useful when you are unable to obtain a probability sample but you are still trying to create a sample that is as representati!e as possible of the population being studied. &n this respect it is the non-probability based equi!alent of the stratified random sample. 'nli0e probability sampling techniques especially stratified random sampling quota sampling is much quic0er and easier to carry out because it does not require a sampling frame and the strict use of random sampling techniques. This ma0es it popular in undergraduate and master*s le!el dissertations where there is a need to di!ide the population being studied into strata "groups#. The quota sample impro!es the representation of particular strata "groups# within the population as well as ensuring that these strata are not o!er-represented. -or example it would ensure that we ha!e sufficient male students ta0ing part in the research "9,: of our sample si<e of +,,3 hence 9, male students#. &t would also ma0e sure we did not ha!e more than 9, male students which would result in an o!er-representation of male students in our research. The use of a quota sample which leads to the stratification of a sample "e.g. male and female students# allows us to more easily compare these groups "strata#.
'isad antages o! quota sampling

&n quota sampling the sample has not been chosen using random selection which ma0es it impossible to determine the possible sampling error. &ndeed it is possible that the selection of units to be included in the sample will be based on ease of access and cost considerations resulting in sampling bias. &t also means that it is not possible to ma0e statistical inferences from the sample to the population. This can lead to problems of generalisation. &t must be possible to clearly di!ide the population into strata3 that is each unit from the population must only belong to one stratum. &n our example this would be fairly simple since our strata are male and female students. $learly a student could only be classified as either male or female. No student could fit into both categories "ignoring transgender issues#. -urthermore imagine extending the sampling requirements such that we were also interested in how career goals changed depending on whether a student was an undergraduate or graduate. /ince the strata must be mutually exclusi!e this means that we would need to sample four strata from the population2 undergraduate males undergraduate females graduate males and graduate females. This will increase o!erall sample si<e required for the research which can increase costs and time to carry out the research.

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