Kiintiömäytteistys

Kiintiömäytteistys refers to a process in which a collection of data is sampled in such a way that it is representative of the underlying population. This is particularly important when dealing with large datasets where it is not feasible to analyze every single data point. The goal of kiintiömäytteistys is to select a subset of the data that accurately reflects the characteristics and proportions of the whole.

The term comes from the Finnish word "kiintiö," meaning quota, and "mäytteistys," meaning sampling. Therefore, kiintiömäytteistys directly translates to quota sampling. In this method, the population is divided into subgroups, or strata, based on certain characteristics, such as age, gender, or socioeconomic status. Quotas are then set for each subgroup, specifying how many individuals from each group should be included in the sample. These quotas are determined based on the known proportions of these subgroups in the target population.

The selection of individuals within each quota is often done non-randomly, which is a key difference from stratified random sampling. Researchers may use convenience sampling or other non-probability methods to fill the quotas. This can introduce bias if the individuals selected within a quota are not representative of the subgroup as a whole. Despite this limitation, kiintiömäytteistys is a practical approach for obtaining a somewhat representative sample when resources are limited or when a perfectly random sample is difficult to achieve. It is commonly used in market research and opinion polls.