Public Opinion Polling Basics
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.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Methodological Research
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Making sense of topic models
Topic models can produce clusters of words that characterize written documents. But how do we figure out what those clusters mean, exactly?
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An intro to topic models for text analysis
Topic models can scan documents, examine words and phrases within them, and “learn” groups of words that characterize those documents.
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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.
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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.
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Methods 101: What are nonprobability surveys?
Our latest Methods 101 video explores some of the ways these surveys differ from traditional probability-based polls.
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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.
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Detecting subjectivity and tone with automated text analysis tools
There are a variety of tools that can help researchers analyze large volumes of written material. In this post, I’ll examine two of these…
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Moderates in Congress go local on Facebook more than the most ideological members
For the average moderate legislator, about 54% of a member’s Facebook posts discussed local issues between 2015 and 2017. But for the average very liberal or very conservative legislator, just 38% of posts dealt with local issues.
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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 […]
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Using APIs to collect website data
At Pew Research Center, we regularly use APIs to collect information for the studies we produce. Web APIs provide a means of communication between websites and users, structured by rules.
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.
