Introduction

Poll results are prevalent in media and scholars as they try investigate different areas of interest. Most of the surveys are conducted during an electioneering period to pre-determine the likely outcome of election results. Nevertheless, the validity and reliability of the poll results largely depends on the sample size and the methodology used in data collection. This will be proved through an analysis of the following;

Political survey

For instance, leading to the United States elections of 2012 between Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney, the Americans were subjected to an opinion poll on which they would prefer for the presidency. The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, February 8 – February 12, 2012. The survey was conducted through telephone interviews with a selected population of 1501 American adults. This is a subtle sample of the total population of registered voters in The United States which was slightly over 180 million. Nevertheless, the results of this poll can be instrumental in support of one of the contestants (Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 2011). An analysis of the results can also help in strategizing on how to increase popularity among the competitors.

Entertainment survey

According to Gallup, TV is the Americans’ leading source of news. This is according to the survey conducted by Princeton, NJ. The research was conducted between 20th and 24th of June 2013 where 2048 Americans adults were asked to consider their primary source of news about U.S and other global events. The random sampling was for Americans beyond 18 years of age living in all the 50 states of America and part of Colombia (Gallup, 2015). The survey was conducted through a telephone and considered different ages and gender.  The results of this poll can be instrumental since most of the Americans can get an insight on the most preferred communication channels.

General survey

From a general point of view, there was a study conducted to establish the notion that most of the young Americans are not interested in getting the world news. As a result, interviews have been carried out to the Americans. A sample population of 2,000, 000 respondents across the different ages were interviewed through filling questionnaires and telephone calls.  The poll results wanted to prove whether or not the young generation is fewer consumers of the world news through reading or watching from the audiovisual channels. The sample size of 2,000,000 respondents is a good sample since there are decreased chances of error. Results from this survey can be used to support the idea of sensitizing the young generation on the importance of understanding the global news.

Overview

As earlier mentioned, the sample size is critical to the validity and reliability of any survey.  Of the three surveys, the entertainment survey has the sample with the least margin of errors. Though, the survey used a small number of the population, sample selection has tried to cover all the states. This means that the results are a real representation of the whole population. From this sample size, one can say with 95% confidence that the sampling error is less than ±5%. For the other surveys, the sampling fails to capture the picture of the whole population since they are somehow skewed to a certain direction (Stopher, 2012). For instance, the political survey has a small sample size and also fails to capture all the states. It is, however, important to understand that 100% level of accuracy can only be achieved if the survey considers the whole population that is not possible. Nevertheless, a successful study must find the right sample survey to increase reliability and validity of the results.

References

Gallup, I. (2015). Gallup.Com – Daily News, Polls, Public Opinion on Politics, Economy, Wellbeing, and World. Gallup.com. Retrieved 24 June 2015, from http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press,. (2011). Question Search. Retrieved 24 June 2015, from http://www.people-press.org/question-search/

Stopher, P. (2012). Collecting, managing, and assessing data using sample surveys. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

 
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