When conducting research, it’s important that survey results reflect the broader population. A nationally representative sample is a group of participants selected to match key demographic characteristics of a country’s population. In Positly, we help researchers achieve this by using census-based quotas for age and gender, sourced from United Nations (UN) population data. This approach improves demographic balance, making survey findings more aligned with national distributions.

Note: This quota feature is only available on our Panel Participants platform.

Target a Nationally Representative Sample Using a Census Quota

If you need a representative target audience, Positly can use official census data to create an interlocked age and gender quota.

By using a census quota, Positly will aim to get study participants that match the age and gender distribution of your target country.

For example, if in your target country 10% of the population are women aged 18-23, Positly will aim for 10% of your study participants to be women aged 18-23.

It’s important to note that quotas are approximate, meaning the final sample may not match the census data exactly, but the system will work to achieve the closest possible balance.

 Why National Representation Matters

Without proper demographic balancing, research findings can be skewed. For example:

  • A survey with too many young respondents may not capture the perspectives of older populations.
  • Gender imbalances in responses could lead to misleading conclusions on topics that affect men and women differently.
  • Over- or under-representing certain groups makes it harder to generalize results to the broader population.

By applying census quotas, Positly helps researchers collect survey data that reflects the expected proportions of ages and genders within a population.

 How Positly Uses Census Quotas

✅ Age and Gender Balancing

Positly applies census-based quotas to match the proportion of different age groups and genders based on UN population data.

✅ Census Data as the Foundation

Instead of relying on outdated or self-reported estimates, Positly references UN population data to guide quota-based recruitment.

✅ Real-Time Monitoring and Adjustments

As responses come in, Positly continuously monitors progress toward quotas. If certain demographic groups are underrepresented, the system adjusts recruitment efforts to achieve a more balanced sample.

Available on Positly’s Panel Participants Platform

This census-based quota feature is only available on Positly’s Panel Participants platform, where participants are recruited from verified panels. This helps to ensure that the balancing process works effectively and provides high-quality data for research.

Need a nationally representative sample for your next study? Try Positly today!

 Advanced Quota-Based System

If you need a more customized quota-based system beyond age and gender, Positly allows you to set custom quotas to control participant ratios for specific attributes.

For example, if you want an equal number of participants who own a car and those who don’t, you can set up a custom quota to help to ensure a balanced distribution.

However, if you want your study to reflect the actual distribution of an attribute (e.g., car ownership rates in a specific country), you will need to source that reference data manually, as Positly does not provide this automatically.

With custom quotas, you can control what percentage of your study participants have different attribute values.

For example, you can specify:

✅ What percentage of participants have certain type of pets

✅ What percentage have a college degree vs. high school diploma

✅ What percentage are urban vs. rural residents

Note: Like all quotas, these are approximate, meaning the final sample may not match the exact distribution specified but will be as close as possible.