media – Survey Science & Data Analysis

November 6 2024January 27 2025*The Election Polling Series, Data analysis, Generalization of findings, Reporting accuracy

US Election Polls – Don’t blame survey science

Wondering why US pollsters got it wrong? Non-response bias is the primary reason. In 2024, the vast majority of election [...]Read more

June 12 2024November 26 2024Data analysis, Generalization of findings, Reporting accuracy

Qualitative Research: The Forbidden Extrapolation

Qualitative research cannot be extrapolated to a Target Population. Period. Only quantitative research with specific design structures can be statistically [...]Read more

May 13 2024November 26 2024Reporting accuracy, Response scales

Paraphrasing can distort your findings

A tiny change in wording can change survey findings . It has been demonstrated repeatedly that a small change in [...]Read more

April 22 2024November 26 2024Reporting accuracy, Response scales

“Average” is not a rating scale mid-point

A student's "average" level of satisfaction with their teachers could be "very satisfied" or "very dissatisfied" or anywhere in between. [...]Read more

August 14 2023November 26 2024Data analysis, Reporting accuracy

The Interpretation Leap: Analysis must stick to survey wording

Surveys are notoriously fickle when it comes to wording. A slight wording change can change a respondent's answer. As such, [...]Read more