{"id":101639,"date":"2017-05-12T19:12:34","date_gmt":"2017-05-13T00:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2017\/05\/12\/methods-101-video-random-sampling\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T16:20:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T20:20:29","slug":"methods-101-video-random-sampling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2017\/05\/12\/methods-101-video-random-sampling\/","title":{"rendered":"Methods 101: Random Sampling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first video in Pew Research Center&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLZ9z-Af5ISavJpPlvdMU4T-etIDOUmldk\">Methods 101 series<\/a> helps explain random sampling \u2013 a concept that lies at the heart of all probability-based survey research \u2013 and why it\u2019s important.<\/p>\n\n\n<nav style=\"line-height:1\" class=\"items-justified-left is-style-pills wp-block-navigation is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-navigation-is-layout-956e015c wp-block-navigation-is-layout-flex\" aria-label=\"Methods 101 Menu\"><ul style=\"line-height:1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__container items-justified-left is-style-pills wp-block-navigation\"><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2017\/05\/12\/methods-101-video-random-sampling\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Random Sampling<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2018\/03\/21\/methods-101-video-question-wording\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Survey Question Wording<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2019\/02\/07\/methods-101-mode-effects\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Mode effects<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2018\/08\/06\/video-explainer-what-are-nonprobability-surveys\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">What are nonprobability surveys?<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2019\/07\/16\/video-how-is-polling-done-around-the-world\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">How is polling done around the world?<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2020\/06\/04\/video-what-is-machine-learning-and-how-does-it-work\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">What is machine learning, and how does it work?<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2025\/11\/20\/video-why-have-polls-underestimated-donald-trump\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Why have polls underestimated Donald Trump?<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/2026\/02\/11\/video-how-do-polls-work-when-no-one-answers-the-phone-anymore\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">How do polls work when no one answers the phone anymore?<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Methods 101: Random Sampling\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sonXfzE1hvo?feature=oembed&#038;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first video in Pew Research Center\u2019s Methods 101 series helps explain random sampling \u2013 a concept that lies at the heart of all probability-based survey research \u2013 and why it\u2019s 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