Science requires data, and survey research is one important means of gathering it. Surveys provide a scientific way of acquiring information that is used to inform policy decisions, guide political campaigns, clarify the needs of stakeholders, enhance customer service, help society understand itself, and improve the quality of life in the United States.
In recent years, concerns have been raised about growing rates of refusal to participate in surveys, as well as about inaccurate forecasts in high-profile elections, polls with contradictory findings, the declining trust in government and media institutions that fund such research, and skepticism fueled by political polarization. “Although polling is not irredeemably broken,” the authors of a new article write, “changes in technology and society create challenges that, if not addressed well, can threaten the quality of election polls and other important surveys on topics such as the economy.”
In this article, published today in the journal PNAS Nexus, 20 experts from diverse fields — including academia, science, government, nonprofits, and the private sector — offer a dozen recommendations to improve the accuracy and trustworthiness of surveys. CONTINUED
Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
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