What is a Quota?

A quota limits the number of participants allowed from a specific group. It helps you get a balanced sample of specific participants and the exact amount of data you need.

How to set it up?

1. In the Audience page, click Add a Custom Screener

2. When the pop-up menu appears, select the question on which you will base your quota setting.

3. Once the question has been selected (for example GENDER) and confirmed your termination logic, toggle on Custom Quota and input the number of participants you require for each group. 

How to add a simple Hard Quota

In this example, we have n=500 sample size and we want an equal share of participants per age group. In this case, we can put in at n=100 each for each 5 age group.

How to add a simple Soft Quota

The quota number we input in the system is the maximum number that can be allowed for a specific group. We don't require all the quota numbers to be added up to the total completes, hence giving the flexibility to set soft quotas. 

So for example, we have n=500 total sample size and we want to give some flexibility in the quota for age groups such as having n=100 for each of 5 age groups, but could have a margin of 10%. Then, in this case, we can put n=110 for each age group (without creating any Virtual Question).

Important Note: By default, you can only set Quota using Single Choice type of questions. The system currently doesn't allow quotas for Multiple-choice type of questions to avoid complexity. To set quota from other question types, a Virtual Question must be created. The Virtual Question is treated as a Single-choice question type on the Audience Page. So please make sure that all the variables/options are EXCLUSIVE if you were to add this Virtual question to the Audience page.

How to set up a quota using a Virtual Question

Adding Hard Quota using Virtual Question

There are circumstances when we need to allocate quotas over combined options and/or multiple questions. For instance, quotas based on Age x Gender where we require a quota of 100 each for females aged 18-35, females over 35, males aged 18-35, and males over 35. In this scenario, we would create a Virtual Question with 4 variables of 18-35 Female, 35+ Female, 18-35 Male, and 35+ Male. 

We will then add this Virtual Question (labelled as Gender+Age) as a Custom Screener on the Audience page to set up quotas accordingly.

 

Adding Soft Quota Using a Virtual Question

So, for example, we have an n=300 sample size and require at least n=50 Female and Brand A users. We created a Virtual Question by combining two questions (Gender and Brand Used in the Past Year). Once the Virtual Question (Female and Brand A user) is set up and added to the custom screener, we can set up the target quotas. 

To maintain that we have at least n=50, we will not input 50 in "Female and Brand User A" as this will mean that we will limit the response to a maximum of n=50. Instead, we can put a maximum value of n=300.

For the Not Applicable segment (those we assume who are NOT female and Not Brand User A) if we limit the quota to n=250 participants, we assume that we will at least have n=50 for "Female and Brand User A" group.

 How to set up a quota using a Numeric Question

Similar to a single-choice question, a Numeric question can be added as a Custom Screener for the Quota setting.

Once added, click +Add a new range and input the value range or the group for quota setting

For example, we have an n=300 sample and we need the opinion of the majority of participants who are premium buyers (those who are willing to buy the product for more than 100 dollars). In this case, we will put a limit among those who are NOT premium buyers (1-99.99 group) to n=100. So this assumes that at least n=200 or the majority are already premium buyers.