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Opinion Poll

Brief Description:

A form of quantitative survey that measure the opinion of a sample of people.

Description:

Opinion polls are quantitative surveys carried out to gauge and compare people's views, experiences and behaviour. There are several different kinds of opinion polls, including questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, telephone surveys, online/email surveys, and deliberative polling (see separate entry).

Used For:

Gathering data about public opinion.

Suitable participants:

Any

Cost:

Cost can vary from very cheap to high. The cheapest option is usually to buy a few questions on an existing survey, such as YouGov. Costs go up if the survey is created from scratch, carried out independently, completed face to face, etc. Compiling and analysing the data can also be costly.

Time Requirements:

Varies depending on the scale of the survey, the numbers of respondents, the amount of data gathered, etc.

When To Use / What It Can Deliver:

When seeking a snapshot of public opinion on a particular issue at a particular moment in time.

When Not To Use / What It Cannot Deliver:

  • Opinion polls do not provide qualitative data.
  • They do not provide information about how or why the respondents think as they do.
  • They do not show how or why people's views change over time.
  • They do not allow for two-way dialogue between the people carrying out the survey and the respondents.

Strengths:

  • If done properly, opinion polls will generate statistically significant data about wider public opinion.
  • Can be low-cost.

Weaknesses:

There is a potential for inaccuracy or bias, such as:

  • Sampling error: i.e. the participants not being ‘representative’
  • The wording of the questions asked may affect the findings
  • The findings may only provide part of the story and can be misleading

Origin:

The first known opinion polls took place in the 19th Century to predict the outcome of American presidential elections.

Case Studies:


Related Methods


Restrictions In Use



Further Information

Popular Methods
21st Century Town Meeting
Citizens Jury
Deliberative Polling
Open Space
Participatory Appraisal
Participatory Budgeting