Public Opinion Polling Basics
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Methodological Research
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The many ways to measure economic inequality
Just what is “economic inequality”? Depends on whom you ask.
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The art and science of the scatterplot
This type of chart is growing more popular, but just half of those with a high school education or less correctly interpreted one in our science quiz.
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The Whys and Hows of Generations Research
At the center of the Pew Research Center’s mission is a commitment to measuring public attitudes on key issues and documenting differences in attitudes between demographic and political groups. An individual’s age is one of the most common predictors of differences in attitudes and behaviors. On issues ranging from foreign affairs to social policy, age […]
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How do Americans use Twitter for news?
A look at how researchers analyzed news habits on Twitter using a small but representative sample of users drawn from a national survey of U.S. adults.
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Is It Necessary to Reimburse Cellphone Respondents?
Respondents who take a Pew Research Center survey on a cellphone are currently offered reimbursement for their cellphone minutes for completing the survey. But is it still necessary in the age of unlimited talk and text?
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How many same-sex married couples in the U.S.? Maybe 170,000
A new research paper suggests that the number of married same-sex couples in the United States in 2013 may have been much lower than the Census Bureau’s initial estimate for that year.
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Tips for Creating Web Surveys for Completion on a Mobile Device
With so many respondents taking Web surveys on smartphones, creating surveys with smartphone respondents in mind is critical.
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How Pew Research Center conducted its survey of multiracial Americans
We released our first report on American multiracial adults, a group that comprises an estimated 6.9% of the adult population, or nearly 17 million adults. The report looks at who they are demographically, their attitudes and experiences, and the spectrum of their racial identity.
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Signature Reports
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.
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.
Q&A: What is the American Trends Panel, and how has it changed?
Members of the American Trends Panel can now take our surveys online or over the phone with an interviewer.
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.
