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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
 Posted - 06/06/2005 : 18:20:21
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I just finished taking a telephone poll concerning my state's next Senate race. The poll was pretty fair (but see below) and covered some good topics. My one objection was that the pollster rarely gave you all the options to the questions asked. In a good poll, you should always you have the option for "don't know" and "refuse to answer." In this case, I did in fact have that option, but he never specified that I did. In other words, questions were usually phrased as aking if I had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of X, rather than asking if, in regards to X, I have a favorable opinion, unfavorable opinion, no opinion, or if I have no answer.
Studies have shown that when people are given options such as "no opinon" the results can vary greatly versus those were it either isn't an option, or isn't an expressed option.
So my reminder is that if you happen to participate in a telephone poll in the next few months (or whenever), keep in mind the "no opinion" option, even if the pollster doesn't give it to you. (And if it's NOT an option, consider refusing to take the poll-- but ask who's sponsoring it so you can get the word out...)
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