diff --git a/pyalex/api.py b/pyalex/api.py
index 2cb3149..df1a1d4 100644
--- a/pyalex/api.py
+++ b/pyalex/api.py
@@ -307,6 +307,8 @@ def get(self, return_meta=False, page=None, per_page=None, cursor=None):
 
     def paginate(self, method="cursor", page=1, per_page=None, cursor="*", n_max=10000):
         if method == "cursor":
+            if self.params.get("sample"):
+                raise ValueError("method should be 'page' when using sample")
             value = cursor
         elif method == "page":
             value = page
diff --git a/tests/test_paging.py b/tests/test_paging.py
index 80963c9..944053b 100644
--- a/tests/test_paging.py
+++ b/tests/test_paging.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import pytest
+
 import pyalex
 from pyalex import Authors
 from pyalex.api import Paginator
@@ -95,3 +97,8 @@ def test_cursor_paging_n_max_none():
     )
 
     sum(len(page) for page in p)
+
+
+def test_paging_with_sample():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        Authors().sample(1).paginate(method="cursor")