^aMannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung (MZES), University of Mannheim, 68131 Mannheim, Germany. E-mail: Thomas.Gschwend@mzes.uni-mannheim.de

Abstract

There is no random sampling in France. Thus, when analyzing French survey data, every scholar has to deal with an important methodological challenge: How can one use the standard panoply of significance tests on quota sample data? This essay suggests some strategies for successfully dealing with such enquiries during the peer-review process. Scholars should gather as much external evidence as possible to argue that their achieved sample represents the population on as many dimensions as possible. The more evidence they are able to compile, the more confidence there is that their estimation results are robust even based on quota sample data.