Gallup Poll General FAQ: January 16th 2003

http://www.gallup.com/help/FAQs/default.asp?ID=15 (Who's computer is this?)

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1: How does Gallup Polling work?

Polling, or survey research, contains many facets.

A thorough understanding survey research is described

in How Polls are Conducted, an excerpt from Where

America Stands, a book published by John Wiley & Sons,

Inc., in 1997. In this essay, Gallup poll editors

address sampling probability, sample selection,

sample size, survey interviews, survey questions,

and interpreting the results. (Excerpt link below)

http://www.gallup.com/help/FAQs/poll1.asp (Who's computer is this?)

2: How was the Poll of Islamic Countries conducted?

Sample Design

The sample design for all nine nations in the Islamic survey is generally
identical to that used by Gallup and virtually all other research companies
for surveys based on personal-in-home interviews. It is designed to measure
the views of the entire national population of each country included in this
project, urban and rural, citizen and non- citizen, Muslim or non-Muslim,
and is based on a multistage probability sample.

In accordance with the standardized procedures of this sample design, the
first stage of the sampling process involved the selection of the primary
sampling units (PSUs), that is, the main locations in which the interviews
were to be conducted in each of the nine nations.

The selection process began by arraying the population data into strata for
those factors for which national census or other official statistics were
available, such as the distribution of the urban and rural population.

After the national population data for the nine countries were stratified
into groups for the urban and rural populations, the individual PSUs were
selected from each urban and rural stratum. Where available, the national
population data were also stratified by such other variables as educational
attainment and household income.

Because of the inherent difficulties of interviewing in rural areas, the
rural population of each country was systematically undersampled relative to
the urban population by assigning fewer PSU to rural areas. To subsequently
bring the various national samples into line, undersampled rural areas were
weighted up to accurately reflect their correct proportions in the total
national population.

Following the selection of the individual PSUs in a given country,
interviewers were instructed to conduct from five to 10 interviews in each
PSU. This produced national sample sizes varying from about 750 in the case
of Jordan and Saudi Arabia to over 2,000 in Pakistan, resulting in a total
sample size for the Islamic project of approximately 10,000 individuals.

Here is a list of the total sample sizes for each of the countries in the
survey:

TOTAL SAMPLE 10,004

Pakistan 2,043

Iran 1,501

Indonesia 1,050

Turkey 1,019

Lebanon 1,050

Morocco 1,000

Kuwait 790

Jordan 797

Saudi Arabia 754

The next stage of the sampling process dealt with the selection of the
households in which the interviewing was to be conducted. To avoid the
possible bias of interviewing only the more accessible households,
interviewers were provided with a specified starting point from which to
commence interviewing. They were then instructed to follow a specified
direction or travel pattern from this starting point, conducting an
interview at each subsequent household (or every second or third household)
until the interviewing assignment was completed.

At each household so selected, interviewers were instructed to select one
person to be interviewed using the so-called "Kish Grid." This procedure
requires the interviewer to pre-list, that is, to record the age and gender
of every member of the household before commencing the interview. The
individual to be interviewed is then identified by a mark that has been
randomly printed in various positions on the grid.

The Kish Grid system ensures that the household member to be interviewed is
selected entirely at random and has an equal chance of being interviewed. It
thus avoids the possible bias that can be caused by interviewers
interviewing only the most accessible household members.

Interviewing

All 10,000 interviews on which the Gallup Poll of the Islamic world was
based were conducted in-person, in the home. The interview, which consisted
of approximately 120 questions, required about one hour to administer.

In certain countries, e.g. Saudi Arabia, female respondents were interviewed
by female interviewers only.

Handout cards or exhibits were read to those respondents who were unable to
read.

Numerical scales were used exclusively to avoid the difficulties of
translating verbal scales into a number of different languages.

There were no screens for citizenship or for religion. Each country's sample
was designed to represent the entire 18+ adult population living in that
country at the time of the interview.

Reporting

The results of this project are for the most part discussed on a
country-by-country basis without specific reference to an overall total. In
certain graphic representations the "Total" bar is based on an unweighted
sample of all interviews conducted and should be used for illustrative
purposes only. Since the nine countries included in this sample are not
intended to represent all predominantly Muslim countries across the world,
since the residents in these nine countries do not represent all Muslims,
and since there are significant variations among the nine countries in the
responses to the questions included, we -- as noted above -- encourage
readers using these data to examine them primarily on a country-by-country
basis.

3: I would like to cite Gallup materials in my work.

How do I obtain permission to cite Gallup, and

what is the correct citation?

All questions regarding permission to cite Gallup

materials can be addressed to permissions@gallup.com.

4: I would like to hire Gallup to do some polling.

How can this be done?

The most efficient way to contact Gallup about

conducting research is by filling out a contact

form. Sarah Van Allen, Gallup's chief worldwide

contact, will get back to you regarding any business

matters. http://www.gallup.com/help/contactUs/poll.asp (Who's computer is this?)

5: If I am looking for a survey on a specific subject

or looking for more information on a poll, how can

I get that information?

Requests for information on Gallup public opinion

polls can be directed to Gallup's Princeton, N.J.,

office by calling 800-888-5493.

6: I have a comment/criticism regarding your polls.

How can I contact you to make my opinion known?

Gallup realizes that not everyone who reads our

materials always agrees with the findings, and we

encourage you to remember that our randomly selected

samples help represent your opinion, even if you were

not personally contacted. If you still feel like your

opinion needs to be voiced, feel free to fill out a

comment form and a Gallup poll employee will read and

consider your feedback as we continue to conduct our

surveys. http://www.gallup.com/help/contactUs/poll.asp (Who's computer is this?)

7: How was the Gallup/MIPT terrorism study conducted?

Results for the survey were based on telephone interviews

with a sample of 2,519 adults, aged 18 and older. The

survey used a random-digit dial telephone methodology

designed to provide equal probabilities of selection for

all households with telephones and every adult within a

selected household. This methodology produced data that

approximate the opinions of the general population of

U.S. adults living in telephone households.

Four independent samples were initially generated

representing the continental United States as a whole

as well as oversamples of the New York City, Washington,

D.C., and Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

The unweighted data contain results of 548 respondents

from New York City, 529 from Washington D.C., 508 from

Oklahoma City and 934 from the remaining contiguous

United States for an overall sample of 2,519.

All national estimates were derived from the weighted

dataset of all interviews combined proportional to the

actual geographic distribution of adults living in

telephone households in the continental United States

as well as adjusted to reflect the U.S. Census Bureau

estimates of age, gender, race and ethnicity within a

region.

The survey was conducted between Jan. 28 and March 22,

2002, five to six months after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Gallup Organization and the University of Oklahoma

Department of Psychiatry jointly designed the methodology

of the survey. For results based on this sample, one

can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error

attributable to sampling and other random effects is 2%

for the national results and 4% for each of the cities.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and

practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce

error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

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