Online Surveys

reportAug 1, 2016

Flashpoints in Polling

Many people wonder: Can polls be trusted? The following essay contains a big-picture review of the state of polling, organized around a number of key areas.
short readsJun 16, 2016

In the age of big data, survey research will not only survive but thrive

The next frontier of public-opinion research is already visible in the “big data” revolution. Through the digital traces of our everyday activities, we are creating a massive volume of information that can tell us a lot about ourselves. Smart data science can identify patterns in our behaviors and interests. And in some domains, such as […]
short readsMay 2, 2016

What we learned about online nonprobability polls

The advantages of these online surveys are obvious – they are fast and relatively inexpensive, and the technology for them is pervasive. But are they accurate?
reportMay 2, 2016

Evaluating Online Nonprobability Surveys

Online nonprobability surveys are fast, cheap, and increasingly popular. We compared nine samples and found that accuracy varied substantially.
short readsSep 22, 2015

Who’s left out in a Web-only survey and how it affects results

We surveyed non-Web panel members by mail and assessed how much, if at all, their non-participation would affect the outcome in a poll conducted exclusively online.
reportJun 11, 2015

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.
short readsMay 14, 2015

Methods can matter: Where Web surveys produce different results than phone interviews

A Pew Research Center experiment found several key areas where Web surveys produced different results than those conducted by phone.
reportMay 13, 2015

From Telephone to the Web: The Challenge of Mode of Interview Effects in Public Opinion Polls

Among the most striking trends in the field of survey research in the past two decades is the shift from interviewer-administered to self-administered surveys. Fueled by the growth of the internet, self-administration as a survey mode presents a mixture of opportunities and challenges to the field.
reportApr 1, 2015

App vs. Web for Surveys of Smartphone Users

Pew Research Center methodologists examine the efficacy of intensive data collection with a probability-based panel and the differences in participation and responses when using a smartphone app as opposed to a web browser for a study of smartphone use.
short readsSep 17, 2014

Q&A: Why one polling expert says Scotland likely to say ‘no’ to independence

Claire Durand, a sociology professor at the University of Montreal, discusses recent polling on the issue of Scottish independence.