Understanding error bars in charts
Error bars illustrate the margin of error for a survey estimate by showing how precise that estimate is. Here are some answers to common questions that might help you better understand charts with error bars.
A behind-the-scenes blog about research methods at Pew Research Center.
For our latest findings, visit pewresearch.org.
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On a scale from 1 to 10, how much do the numbers used in survey scales really matter?
Understanding how the numeric labels on scales might influence survey responses is an area of ongoing investigation for researchers.
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Avoiding technical debt in social science research
A lack of attention to detail in one research project can have compounding effects on future research projects.
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How social scientists can use transfer learning to kick-start a deep learning project
Social scientists are increasingly adopting machine learning methods to analyze large amounts of text, images and other kinds of data.
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A short intro to linear regression analysis using survey data
Regression is a statistical method that allows us to look at the relationship between two variables, while holding other factors equal.
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How Pew Research Center uses small multiple charts
Researchers and designers at Pew Research Center often create faceted information graphics, commonly known as “small multiples,” to…
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Comparing MRP to raking for online opt-in polls
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What voter files can tell us about trends in party registration
Commercial voter files hold great promise for studying certain aspects of American politics. These files, compiled by private vendors from…
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Learning about locations with Google APIs
Geocoding is the process of mapping an address or a location name to a point on Earth’s surface using latitude and longitude coordinates…
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Sharing the code we used to study the public’s interest in the Flint water crisis
In 2017, Pew Research Center published an analysis of Google search trends related to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The analysis…
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Q&A: What works and what doesn’t when studying social media data
Ever since Friendster and Myspace gained popularity in the early 2000s, social scientists have been interested in studying the impact of…
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