Polls are made up of a number of questions that endeavor to determine what the general public’s consensus is on a product, a person, a group, or even a proposed idea. In fact, a poll can be taken on just about anything. One poll might serve the purpose of finding out whether the shoppers in a particular grocery store enjoy the store brand peanut butter more than the name brand. Another poll might be taken to decide whether the general public is in agreement with a certain policy of an elected official. The level of significance of the results varies with the subject matter of the poll.
In many cases, the results of a poll have the power to cause changes in the business world and in the realm of politics. For instance, poll results showing that one particular brand of ice cream is preferred by consumers over another, may earn the popular brand a better display in a grocery store. A different round of poll results might reveal the displeasure of a town’s inhabitants with a proposal to construct of a new shopping center. Those poll results may cause the town’s elected officials to cancel the construction proposal. Poll results can affect the course of a business, a community, or even a nation.
The examination of poll results can help reveal the overall fairness of a particular poll. Some questions for journalists to consider when looking at poll results are:
1. Who participated in the poll? The results of a poll can be influenced by the age, gender, and economic status of its participants. If the participants of a poll all have similar backgrounds then the results will be skewed toward a particular group of people.
2. How was the poll conducted? Consider whether it was given in an organized, uniform way or whether it was a spontaneous poll. The more organized the poll, the more reliable the results.
3. How was the poll questionnaire worded? Look at the questions to determine whether they are stated in a way that can be easily understood by anyone. If they are not, chances are some of the questions were misunderstood by participants causing the poll to be unfairly biased toward people with higher levels of education.
4. When was the poll conducted? For example, if a telephone poll was conducted at noon on a weekday that would immediately limit the groups of people available to offer answers.
5. Who calculated the results of the poll? Investigate whether the results were checked and rechecked by a group of people or was one person responsible for figuring out the tally. A system of several people confirming results will ensure a level of accuracy.
6. Over what duration of time was the poll taken? For instance, compare the accuracy and fair representation of a phone-in poll taken over a thirty minute period versus a questionnaire personally administered to people over a six month span. The more time that is dedicated to a poll, the wider the variety of opinions.
7. Were the participants paid for their answers? A person who is remunerated in some way for their answers on a poll questionnaire may be likely to fashion their answers to please the organization that is paying them.
8. Does the group who is conducting the poll have any stake in its results? Find out if a particular result would benefit the sponsoring organization in any way. If so, the fairness of the poll may be brought into question.
9. What kind of poll is it? The format of the poll is an important element. A telephone poll may produce hurried, unconsidered answers from its participants whereas a poll administered in person may reap more thoughtful answers.
10. Was the poll taken by people in a particular atmosphere? For instance, a poll taken in a university setting would be skewed toward people with an advanced education. The purpose of a poll is to find a general consensus among a wide range of people with different backgrounds.
11. Do the people participating in the poll have any reason to lie? For example, imagine a math teacher taking a poll of her classroom regarding cheating on tests. Some of the student participants might be inclined to lie about answers in order to hide their misdeeds.
12. Is the poll anonymous? If a person has to reveal his name when taking a poll he may be reluctant to answer with complete honesty.
13. How many people participated in the poll? The larger the total number of people participating in the poll, the better the chances that it will reveal representative results.
14. Are the people who are administering the poll questions well-trained? In order for a poll to be fair the questions need to be asked in the same way to each participant. A volunteer who is untrained may ask the questions with subtle differences that will skew the results.
15. Is the poll being given to people who have knowledge of the topic? For instance, a poll questionnaire on the subject of reliable diapers for a baby that is given to a group of single men will not be likely to reap informative results. Or would it be productive to poll a person who lives in Florida year round on what type of snow shovel is the most effective?
16. What is the rate of accuracy listed with the poll? Most polls post a plus or minus number that represents the level of accuracy. If you see a poor rate of accuracy, you know right away to dismiss the poll.
17. Is a yearly poll being given to a similar group of people each time? A poll given over and over again to nearly the same group of individuals is not truly representative of the general public’s thinking.
18. Was the poll made accessible to people who speak a different language? In order for a poll to be as fair as possible, it must be accessible to everyone who is living in the community.
19. Does the people filling out the poll questionnaire have any motivation to give particular answers? Example: A poll is taken by office workers regarding the effectiveness of a particular manager who happens to be the main boss. The workers there may feel they are putting their jobs at risk if they are anything but complimentary on the poll.
20. Are all of the poll questionnaires worded in the same way? This comes into play especially if the poll involves a large area. A different wording of the same poll question can produce a different answer even if two participants fundamentally agree on the issue.
The results of any poll that is conducted in a fair, organized way can prompt improvements and advances in many aspects of our society.
The results of a poll can be very helpful in identifying the general public’s feeling about something or someone. For instance, a local business can learn through taking a poll whether an advertising campaign is effective. In another instance, the results of a national poll can reveal whether a political party’s candidate is popular among the majority of a country’s citizens. However, it’s important to closely examine poll results in order to determine whether they are truly representative of the general public.
