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						<h1 class="et_pb_module_header">Assessing Poll Validity</h1>
						
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				<div class="et_pb_text_inner">There is no universal rule to determine what makes a poll ‘valid.’ However, all public reports of survey findings should include reference to the following:</p>
<p>Sponsorship of the survey<br />
Dates of interviewing<br />
Method of obtaining the interviews (in-person, telephone or mail)<br />
Population that was sampled<br />
Size of the sample<br />
Size and description of the sub-sample, if the survey report relies primarily on less than the total sample<br />
Complete wording of the questions upon which the release is based<br />
The percentages upon which conclusions are based</p>
<p>The key things to look for are sample size and corresponding margin of error (be cautious of results when the margin of error exceeds 5 or 6 points); whether the sample was scientifically chosen or whether respondents were self-selected (typical of ‘900’ call-in polls and many web-site polls); and the wording and order of the questions (look for questions that seem to ‘push’ the respondent to an answer by describing some options more attractively than others).<br />
More information is available in the short publication Twenty Questions A Journalist Should Ask About Poll Results by Sheldon Gawiser and G. Evans Witt. The pamphlet is available from the National Council on Public Polls or using the link below.<br />
20 Questions A Journalist Should Ask About Poll Results</div>
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