Quotas

Where a specified sample of web survey respondents is required, quotas may be used to limit the number of respondents in identified categories. For example, to limit the numbers of males and females, or to limit the numbers in each age group.

Quotas can only be applied to Web: Snap WebHost surveys. They may not be used with Web: HTML or Web: Framed HTML surveys(only available in Snap 10).

Once the quota has been reached, further respondents will be routed to the end of the questionnaire. It is therefore helpful if questions used by the quota are placed as near the beginning of the survey as possible to avoid other, unnecessary questions being asked.

In this example we introduce a quota that restricts the survey to the first 50 males and 50 females.

The first step is to create the question used to sort the respondent into the correct category. This could be a variable in the survey or a Derived Variable.

  1. Create a single choice question with two response options. One represents male and the other represents female. For more details on creating quota variables please see https://www.snapsurveys.com/help/#18943.

The next step is to create a weight matrix to record the quota targets.

  1. With the questionnaire open, click the Weights icon weights icon to bring up the weights dialog box. Click plus | add to create a new weight.
    weights dialog box - add
  2. Give the weight a name (MaleFemale) and label (Weight MaleFemale) and then click in the value column for code 1. In this example, code 1 is male and code 2 is female. Type a value of 50 for code 1 and then use the tab key to move down to code 2. The value will again be 50. Click the Save button to save the weight.
    Weights dialog - name, label, value

The next step is to set up the quota itself which will assign the previously built weight with the quota question.

  1. From the main toolbar, select Tailor and then Quotas… from the drop-down menu.
    select Tailor then Quotas
  2. Click to Add button to create a new quota..
    Quota Control window
  3. Give the quota a name (sex) and from the variable drop-down, select the question for which you wish to apply the quota to (Q1).
    Set Up Quota - name (sex)
    Use the weights drop-down to select the weight set up previously (MaleFemale). Once both are selected, the table will reflect the quota details to confirm that no more than 50 male and 50 females may complete the survey.
    Set Up Quota - select
    Each quota contains a text box for a message. By default, this message will be shown to respondents who exceed the quota (see the closing notes below).
    Set Up Quota - exceeded
  4. Click OK button to save the quota. Ensure the ‘Use Quota Control’ tick box is selected in the Quota Control dialogue box and click OK button to save the settings.The survey is then ready for publishing to Snap WebHost.

During interviews the quota will be automatically monitored. As soon as a respondent leaves the page with the quota question on, the counts to date will be compared with the quotas to see if they should continue with the remainder of the questionnaire or not.

Those outside of the quota (the 51st or subsequent male and the 51st or subsequent female) will be routed out of the questionnaire to either the Snap default web page showing the message in the quota window or the web page entered into the quota window. Here is a link that covers this option: https://www.snapsurveys.com/help/#33266. If you leave the “Web page from WebHost” setting blank, the default quota message page will be displayed.

If there is a topic you would like a worksheet on, email to snapideas@snapsurveys.com