Ask the Expert

Pew Research expert’s responses to frequently asked questions on polling and data

The Pew Research Center recently released an instant reaction poll gauging public views about the outcome of the presidential election, conducted online with Google. Director of Survey Research Scott Keeter describes the project.

Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research, answers questions about the factors behind the growing partisan gap in American politics.

In our surveys this summer, we added a question about mobile internet connectivity to help us capture internet users who may access the internet on mobile devices.

Pollsters sometimes match a “generic” Republican or Democratic candidate against an incumbent, or use a generic ballot to forecast which party is ahead in congressional elections. How to read these polls.

Assessing the value of using the labels "moderate," "liberal" and "conservative" to describe the electorate.

Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director, Pew Hispanic Center, discusses the importance of the Latino Vote in the 2012 presidential election.

Scott Keeter, director of survey research, explains why pollsters switch from registered voters to likely voters in their samples as Election Day nears, and how the Pew Research Center determines who is likely to vote.

Pew Research Center experts answer questions about our survey results and methodology.

Senior research staff answer questions from readers relating to all the areas covered by our seven projects, ranging from polling techniques and findings, to media, technology, religious, demographic and global attitudes trends.