Phone versus online and other considerations: A primer on nonprobability surveys.

We are often asked questions, such as: "why should we conduct our poll by telephone? Aren't online surveys the most cutting-edge approach?" Conversely, we hear, "shouldn't we conduct a traditional phone poll? Isn't that the gold standard in opinion research?"

Deciding what method to use isn't a matter of a new versus old or Cadillac versus Chevy. Alongside cost, it's important to consider what group of people you want to study and where you are going to find the most representative sample of this group to take your survey.

That's why the latest video in the Pew Research Center's Methods 101 series is worth watching. It compares the features of non-probability surveys to traditional probability-based polls. You can't make smart decisions on messaging or campaign strategy if the data you're basing those decisions on isn't accurate.