---
title: "Methodology"
description: "About the data in this report The results of this report come from an analysis of a combined data set of four separate Pew Internet tracking surveys conducted in 2010, involving a total of 9,769 respondents. For results based on non-students ages 18-24 (n=717), the margin of sampling error is +/-4.0 percentage points. For results […]"
date: "2011-07-19"
authors:
  - name: "Aaron Smith"
    job_title: "Director, Data Labs"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/aaron-smith/"
  - name: "Lee Rainie"
    job_title: "Former Director, Internet and Technology Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/lee-rainie/"
  - name: "Kathryn Zickuhr"
    job_title: "Former Research Associate"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/kathryn-zickuhr/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2011/07/19/methodology-58-3/"
---

# Methodology

### About the data in this report

The results of this report come from an analysis of a combined data set of four separate Pew Internet tracking surveys conducted in 2010, involving a total of 9,769 respondents. For results based on non-students ages 18-24 (n=717), the margin of sampling error is +/-4.0 percentage points. For results based on undergraduate students (n=246), the margin of sampling error is +/-6.9 percentage points. For results based on graduate students (n=112), the margin of sampling error is +/-10.2 percentage points. For results based on students at community colleges (n=164), the margin of sampling error is +/-8.4 percentage points. Details of each individual survey are listed below, more detailed methodologies can be found [on our website](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/Data-Tools/Download-Data/Data-Sets.aspx).

**January 2010 Tracking Survey - **Our January 2010 tracking survey is based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between December 28, 2009 and January 19, 2010, among a sample of 2,259 adults, age 18 and older in English. Following is the full disposition of all sampled telephone numbers:

![Table 1](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/media/6D5FE37EACB74FC3B58AA48E1FB6B229.jpg)

**May 2010 Tracking Survey - **Our May 2010 tracking survey is based on telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between April 29 and May 30, 2010, among a sample of 2,252 adults, age 18 and older. Interviews were conducted in English. Following is the full disposition of all sampled telephone numbers:

![Table 2](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/media/F27E710181D34B3FA5F397253ED876BB.jpg)

**September 2010 Tracking Survey - **Our September 2010 tracking survey is based on telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between August 9 and September 13, 2010, among a sample of 3,001 adults, age 18 and older. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. Following is the full disposition of all sampled telephone numbers:

![Table 3](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/media/BF33D49987A7458285628F03990A39DC.jpg)

**November 2010 Tracking Survey - **Our December 2010 tracking survey is based on telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from November 3-24, 2010, among a sample of 2,257 adults, age 18 and older. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. Following is the full disposition of all sampled telephone numbers:

![Table 4](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/media/9932A4596B1D469686B0DB30FE5BBE5A.jpg)