Methodological Research

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.

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

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.

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 […]

Neha Sahgal, a lead author of our survey of Christians in Western Europe, discusses how the survey team constructed its questions and analyzed results.

Migration, racial or ethnic self-identity, and marriage were among the many topics explored at the Population Association of America’s annual meeting last month.

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.

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.

For a recent study on automated accounts and Twitter, we had to answer a fundamental question: Which accounts are bots and which accounts aren’t? Read a Q&A with Stefan Wojcik, a computational social scientist at the Center and one of the report’s authors, on how he and his colleagues navigated this question.

A new question about citizenship on the 2020 census form is in the headlines, but the U.S. Census Bureau also plans other changes for the next national count.