Related Guides
About Sociological Methods
This guide provides selected course-specific resources for SO201: Sociological Methods.
Featured Resource: Pew Research Center
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- Methods 101: Random Sampling Here at Pew Research Center, we are often asked about how we conduct our research. We work hard to make our methodologies transparent and understandable. That’s why we’re launching Methods 101, a new occasional video series dedicated to explaining and educating the public about the basic methods we use to conduct our survey research.
- Methods 101: Mode Effects (Phone vs.Online Surveys) Phone vs. online surveys: Why do respondents’ answers sometimes differ by mode?
- Methods 101: Survey Question Wording How do you write survey questions that accurately measure public opinion?
- Methods 101: What are Nonprobability Surveys? In this video explainer – the latest in our Methods 101 series – we explore some of the features of nonprobability surveys and how they differ from traditional probability-based polls.
- Methods 101: How is Polling Done Around the World? n the latest installment of our Methods 101 video series, we look at some of the challenges of international polling. These include government restrictions on survey work, political or social instability that can make it unsafe for interviewers to do their jobs, and a lack of qualified partners who can help administer surveys locally.
- Methods 101: What is Machine Learning, and How does it Work? In this explainer, learn about the concept of machine learning and how Pew Research Center can use it to collect and analyze large pools of data.
- Assessing the Risks to Online Polls From Bogus Respondents More than 80% of the public polls used to track key indicators of U.S. public opinion, such as the President’s approval rating or support for Democratic presidential candidates, are conducted using online opt-in polling.1 A new study by Pew Research Center finds that online polls conducted with widely-used opt-in sources contain small but measurable shares of bogus respondents (about 4% to 7%, depending on the source).
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This guide was originally authored by Chris Smith, April, 2023.