Testing survey questions ahead of time can help sharpen a poll’s focus
Testing questions in advance can help ensure they are as clear as possible — and that they measure what researchers set out to measure.
A behind-the-scenes blog about research methods at Pew Research Center.
For our latest research findings, visit pewresearch.org.
All Decoded publications
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Adapting how we ask about the gender of our survey respondents
Updating our question wording acknowledges changing norms around gender identity and improves data quality and accuracy.
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Small changes in survey scales can matter when measuring political ideology in Europe
In this analysis, we compare two different ways of asking telephone survey respondents in Europe about their ideology.
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Weighting survey data with the pewmethods R package
This post walks through the process of weighting and analyzing a survey dataset.
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Exploring survey data with the pewmethods R package
This post provides tips on recoding and collapsing survey data and displaying weighted estimates of categorical variables.
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Introducing pewmethods: An R package for working with survey data
Our new R package contains various functions that we use in our day-to-day survey work.
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Trends are a cornerstone of public opinion research. How do we continue to track changes in public opinion when there’s a shift in survey mode?
Mode differences present a challenge to analyzing trends over time. While these differences can vary, there are lessons to be learned.
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Using fixed and random effects models for panel data in Python
Identifying causal relationships from observational data is not easy. Still, researchers are often interested in examining the effects of policy changes.
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When the unexpected happens, what’s a survey researcher to do?
From weather events to snap elections, outside developments can sometimes disrupt surveys while they are in the field.
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How public and private Twitter users in the U.S. compare — and why it might matter for your research
Overall, our survey found that 13% of U.S. adult Twitter users keep their feeds private.
CATEGORIES
- Data Science (26)
- Coding How-To (19)
- Survey Methods (39)
- Voter Files (4)
- Online Surveys (2)
- Communicating Findings (9)
- Demographic Research (8)
- International Surveys (10)
- Qualitative Methods (4)
- Economic Research (4)
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About Decoded
A behind-the-scenes blog about research methods at Pew Research Center.
For our latest research findings, visit pewresearch.org.
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