Dedicated to a friend on ET who I often disagree with, but who doesn't understand how polling works.
I had the good fortune, as many other people here did, to have a statistics course in college.
Not everyone has had the opportunity or interest in taking a college level statistics class, so, the last thing I want to do is suggest as if those who are familiar with polling methodology are smarter than those who have. That's simply not the case.
But since there's so much confusion about 'polling' in this acrimonious election cycle, valid scientific polling is not a product of 'a liberal media' (FOX News has some of the best Polling), is not 'biased' (that would invalidate the poll as inherently flawed) and legitimately designed polling is inherently accurate withing the statistical margin of error (always denoted), I thought I'd post this introduction on 'polling methodology' for those who haven't had any courses on this subject or who haven't had exposure to this subject independently:
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/pom/polling101.html
I had the good fortune, as many other people here did, to have a statistics course in college.
Not everyone has had the opportunity or interest in taking a college level statistics class, so, the last thing I want to do is suggest as if those who are familiar with polling methodology are smarter than those who have. That's simply not the case.
But since there's so much confusion about 'polling' in this acrimonious election cycle, valid scientific polling is not a product of 'a liberal media' (FOX News has some of the best Polling), is not 'biased' (that would invalidate the poll as inherently flawed) and legitimately designed polling is inherently accurate withing the statistical margin of error (always denoted), I thought I'd post this introduction on 'polling methodology' for those who haven't had any courses on this subject or who haven't had exposure to this subject independently:
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/pom/polling101.html