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Methodological Research

reportJul 1, 2024

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.

short readAug 28, 2024

Conceptual image of an oversized voting ballot box in a large crowd of people with shallow depth of field

reportApr 19, 2023

short readJun 26, 2024

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Methodological Research

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short readsJun 27, 2014

Why the typology quiz questions are asked the way they are

One of the strongest reactions we have received from some quiz-takers is frustration over the either-or choices each question offers. This is a legitimate concern, but there is a reason the questions are asked the way they are: The intent is not to put people “in a box” but rather to understand how their values across multiple political dimensions are related to each other.
short readsMay 15, 2014

Net neutrality: A made-for-web debate

The complex issue of net neutrality is not likely to be dinner conversation for many in the U.S. Still, the Federal Communications Commission vote expected today could dramatically impact the flow of digital content Americans receive, not to mention the bottom line for many major U.S. technology and content companies. So, where could the public […]
short readsMay 8, 2014

Q/A: How Pew Research tracks public opinion in countries stricken by violence and unrest

Fact Tank sat down with James Bell, Pew Research’s director of international survey research, to discuss how the center designs and implements its surveys in places of conflict like Ukraine.
short readsFeb 20, 2014

Q/A: How Pew Research mapped the conversations on Twitter

A conversation with Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Internet Project, about the project’s new report on mapping Twitter conversations.
short readsJan 15, 2014

Pew Research increases share of interviews conducted by cellphone

In the coming months, 60% of interviews in our national polls will be conducted via cellphones and 40% on landline phones.
short readsDec 20, 2013

Polling on the deficit: Why question order matters

Polling organizations devote a great deal of attention to the wording of survey questions, but they need to be just as concerned about how questions are ordered. The context in which a specific question is asked, particularly what directly precedes a question in a telephone interview, often has an impact on the way people respond.
short readsOct 9, 2013

Study: Polls may underestimate anti-gay sentiment and size of gay, lesbian population

A study using a novel research method raises questions.
short readsSep 30, 2013

Study: Opposition to same-sex marriage may be understated in public opinion polls

Blame “social desirability” bias.
reportJul 26, 2013

Government Surveillance: A Question Wording Experiment

Overview In the wake of leaked information about the government’s telephone and digital surveillance programs last month, public opinion surveys reported a wide range of reactions. For example, a Pew Research Center/Washington Post survey conducted immediately after the revelations found broad support for the program, while a Gallup survey conducted just days later found more […]
short readsJun 21, 2013

The challenges of conducting surveys of youth

Research with minors presents some unique challenges, ranging from getting the necessary legal permissions to reaching interviewees at a time that use of mobile phones is growing.

Signature Reports

reportNov 19, 2019

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.

reportSep 7, 2023

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.

short readJun 26, 2024

Members of the American Trends Panel can now take our surveys online or over the phone with an interviewer.

reportApr 19, 2023

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.