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Survey Methods

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.

data essayFeb 12, 2024

As a shop that studies human behavior through surveys and other social scientific techniques, we have a good line of sight into the contradictory nature of human preferences. Here’s a look at how we categorize our survey participants in ways that enhance our understanding of how people think and behave.

reportJul 8, 2024

In 2020, Pew Research Center launched a new project called the National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS). NPORS is an annual, cross-sectional survey of U.S. adults. Respondents can answer either by paper or online, and they are selected using address-based sampling from the United States Postal Service’s computerized delivery sequence file.

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Survey Methods

Publications

short readsOct 18, 2018

‘Defining the universe’ is essential when writing about survey data

Given the wide range of people we speak to for our polls – and the issues we ask them about – it’s important to be as clear as possible about exactly who says what. In research circles, this practice is sometimes called “defining the universe.”
reportOct 9, 2018

Comparing Survey Sampling Strategies: Random-Digit Dial vs. Voter Files

A new telephone survey experiment finds that an opinion poll drawn from a commercial voter file produces results similar to those from a sample based on random-digit dialing.
reportAug 9, 2018

For Most Trump Voters, ‘Very Warm’ Feelings for Him Endured

In the wake of Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, an overwhelming majority of those who said they had voted for him had “warm” feelings for him.
short readsAug 6, 2018

What are nonprobability surveys?

Many online surveys are conducted using “nonprobability” or “opt-in” samples, which are generally easier and cheaper to conduct. In our latest Methods 101 video, we explore some of the features of nonprobability surveys and how they differ from traditional probability-based polls.
videoAug 6, 2018

Methods 101: What are nonprobability surveys?

Our latest Methods 101 video explores some of the ways these surveys differ from traditional probability-based polls.
short readsAug 3, 2018

When writing about survey data, 51% might not mean a ‘majority’

For many people, “majority” is a word so common that they rarely have to think twice about what it means. But it’s a different matter for polling organizations like Pew Research Center. At the Center, writers cannot label a survey finding a “majority” unless it meets specific criteria.
reportJul 5, 2018

How Does Pew Research Center Measure the Religious Composition of the U.S.? Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Measuring religious identity How does Pew Research Center measure the religious identity of survey respondents and the religious composition of the U.S.? Answer: Generally, we rely on respondents’ self-identification. A key question we ask in many surveys is: “What is your present religion, if any? Are you Protestant, Roman Catholic, Mormon, Orthodox such […]
featureMay 14, 2018

Video: Can we still trust polls?

Recent events – including the 2016 presidential election and Brexit – have rattled public confidence in polls. But this video explains why well-designed polls can still be trusted and remain an important way to measure public opinion.
short readsMay 14, 2018

Can we still trust polls?

Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 and the U.K. “Brexit” decision rattled public confidence in polls. Our new video explains why well-designed polls can be trusted.
featureMar 21, 2018

Methods 101: Survey Question Wording

The second video in Pew Research Center’s Methods 101 series helps explain question wording – a concept at the center of sound public opinion survey research – and why it’s important.