Calculating Data Weights for 2012 Politics and Protest Survey
Sex-age weights were calculated in the standard way. The percentage in the sample falling in
each cell, defined by sex and age category, was compared to target percentages based on 2011
Statistics Canada data. Weights were calculated for each cell to match the target percentages.
The relevant population data are shown in the following table.
Toronto CMA
Age
Categories
18-24
286520
No. of
females
261235
25-34
369355
35-44
400730
45-54
55-64
65+
Total
4403395
No. of males
Male, %
Female, %
6.5007
5.9326
405995
8.3879
9.2200
439450
9.1005
9.9798
433695
453965
9.8491
10.3094
309900
335895
7.0376
7.6280
310830
395825
7.0589
8.9891
2111030
2292365
47.9409
52.0590
Source : Statistics Canada. 2012. Toronto, Ontario (Code 535) and Ontario (Code 35) (table). Census Profile. 2011 Census.
Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-XWE. Ottawa. Released May 29, 2012.
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E
(accessed May 29, 2012).
Cells were defined by birth cohort to ensure that the gender distribution within each birth cohort
matched certain target percentages.
The reason for applying weights to the survey experiment data is simply to match the gender and
age distribution to current population data available in the 2011 Census. Males are overrepresented in the study data and females in the underrepresented. The reason why we calculate
weights within age cohorts is that the extent of the gender imbalance varies across age groups.
For example, males in the 24-35 age group and particularly over-represented while women over
35 are markedly under-represented. Therefore, a single set of gender based weights used across
all age groups may be inappropriate
The following tables show the calculations used to produce education weights. The first panel
shows the percentages of the population in each age and gender category. The second panel
shows the percentages of participants in the survey experiment using these same age and gender
classifications. The third panel shows the appropriate weights required to bring survey
experiment data in line with the census data. The weights in panel 3 are calculated by dividing
the cell entries for the census data (panel 1) by the corresponding cell entry for the present study
(panel 2).
1
Calculating data weights: 6 age cohorts by gender
(using 2011 Census Data)
Percentages in
census data
Gender
Age
Males
Females
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Totals
6.5007
8.3879
9.1005
9.8491
7.0376
7.0589
47.9409
5.9326
9.2200
9.9798
10.3094
7.6280
8.9891
52.0590
Percentages in
study data
Gender
Age
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Totals
Calculated Age
& Gender
Weights
Age
Males
Females
7.8693
16.7429
11.7019
13.6322
11.6194
9.7896
71.3632
3.2022
8.4172
5.7640
4.3001
4.6661
2.2873
28.6368
Gender
Males
Females
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
.8261
.5009
.7777
.7225
.6057
.7211
1.8527
1.0954
1.7314
2.3975
1.6348
3.9300
Gender Weight
.6718
1.8179
2