In a previous article, we discussed the pros and cons of using weights to compensate for differences between a sample and a reference population. Due to its risks, the consensus about weighting is that it’s a method of last resort when (1) it’s critically important for proportions of sample groups to match a reference population
To weight, or not to weight, that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer Discrepancies between sample and population proportions, Or to take arms against the gaps But by weighting them, to distort the truth… Weighting plays an important role in how we measure, and even what we consider, the truth.
Unless you plan to survey every member of your target population, you’ll need to work with a sample. But even in cases where you can survey everyone, you might not want to because of survey fatigue and costs. What’s more, most populations are fluid. There may be only a hundred users of a financial product
