Online Surveys

Pew Research Center conducts surveys over the phone and, increasingly, online. But these two formats don’t always produce identical results.

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.

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 […]

The U.S. has more foreign students enrolled in its colleges and universities than any other country in the world. Explore data about foreign students in the U.S. higher education system.

People polled by telephone are slightly less likely than those interviewed online to say their personal finances are in “poor shape."

A new analysis sheds light on concerns raised among pollsters that the medium by which a survey question is asked – its mode – can affect responses.

The first video in Pew Research Center’s Methods 101 series helps explain random sampling – a concept that lies at the heart of all probability-based survey research – and why it’s important.

In the aftermath of presidential debates, there is intense interest in gauging "who won." How can we know the answer to that question?