Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Methodological Research

report

Public Opinion Polling Basics

By the end of our free, five-lesson course, you will know why we have polls, what the different kinds of polls are, how polling works and what you should look for in a poll.

Icon for promotion number 1

Sign up for our Methods newsletter

The latest on survey methods, data science and more, delivered quarterly.

Displaying 1-10 of ? results
Filtering by:
Reset

REFINE YOUR SELECTION

Signature Reports

report

A Field Guide to Polling: Election 2020 Edition

While survey research in the United States is a year-round undertaking, the public’s focus on polling is never more intense than during the run-up to a presidential election.

report

Comparing Two Types of Online Survey Samples

Pew Research Center conducted a study to compare the accuracy of six online surveys of U.S. adults – three from probability-based panels and three from opt-in sources. On average, the absolute error on opt-in samples was about twice that of probability-based panels.

report

How Public Polling Has Changed in the 21st Century

A new study found that 61% of national pollsters used different methods in 2022 than in 2016. And last year, 17% of pollsters used multiple methods to sample or interview people – up from 2% in 2016.