Sample design and evaluation for an occupational mobility study

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to describe the design and evaluation of the sample for an occupational mobility study in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic undertaken by Jackson et al. (1973-74)1. The objective of the study was to demonstrate the characteristics of occupational mobility in both parts o f Ireland and also to develop an analysis of social structure, change and development. An important constraint was that of cost. In order to obtain a large enough sample in each part of Ireland to justify detailed breakdown by age cohort, while retaining sufficient numbers in each cell, some sacrifices had to be made. The most important of these was the decision not to include women in the study and to limit the target population to males aged 18-64.