Research Methods

Polls can't predict the future. But they are the best tool to reveal the public’s priorities and values, and why people vote the way they do.

If a battleground state poll does not adjust for having too many college graduates, it is at risk of overstating support for a Democratic presidential candidate. The Current Population Survey provides high-quality data that can mitigate overrepresentation of college graduates.

The real environment in which polls are conducted bears little resemblance to the idealized settings presented in textbooks.

Our latest Methods 101 video explains the basics of machine learning and how it allows our researchers to analyze data on a large scale.

U.S. adults give high marks to South Korea and Germany’s pandemic responses. In contrast, most believe China has done an only fair or poor job.

Our response to the pandemic has included the difficult decision to suspend much of our international survey work until further notice.

While the growth of online interviewing is a prominent trend in polling, there is variation within that trend in how researchers recruit respondents. This study finds that sourcing affects data quality.

Our graphics team creates hundreds of charts, maps and other data visualizations every year. Here are some of our favorite graphics of 2019.

Dennis Quinn, computational social scientist, explains how our analysis of sermons came together and the challenges that arise when religion meets big data.

An exploration of more than 50 Pew Research Center surveys confirms the overwhelming impact party identification has on Americans’ trust in the news media. And divides emerge within party – particularly the Republican Party – based on how strongly people approve of Trump.