Methods 101: How is polling done around the world?

Summary

This script explores the complexities of conducting international polls, emphasizing the need to adapt to each country's unique technological, societal, and cultural dynamics. It highlights challenges such as government restrictions, varying communication infrastructures, and the importance of language translation. The video underscores the significance of local expertise and the use of technology like GPS-enabled devices to ensure rigorous and representative sampling. It also stresses the importance of question translation consistency to maintain survey integrity across different languages and cultures.

Takeaways

• 🌍 International polling is complex due to varying conditions and requirements across different countries.
• 🏛️ Government regulations can limit the scope of polling questions or even discourage public opinion research in some nations.
• 🚫 Safety concerns such as armed conflicts or political unrest may prohibit polling in certain regions.
• 🔍 The availability of research infrastructure and skilled local partners is crucial for conducting high-quality surveys.
• 📊 Polling methods must be tailored to the predominant communication channels in each country, such as online, telephone, or face-to-face interviews.
• 🏡 In-person polling presents logistical challenges, including deciding where to send interviewers and dealing with the lack of addresses in some countries.
• 📱 Technological advancements like GPS and satellite imagery aid in conducting surveys in areas without reliable mapping.
• 🗣️ Language is a key consideration; questionnaires often need to be translated into multiple languages to ensure comprehension and comparability.
• 🔗 Translations must maintain the consistency of meaning to avoid misinterpretation across different linguistic groups.
• 🔍 Local experts are invaluable for reviewing survey questions for cultural and political sensitivities.
• 🔧 Pre-testing surveys in all languages can help identify and rectify confusing or misleading translations.

Q & A

What are the challenges faced when conducting international polls?

International polling faces challenges such as government restrictions, legal limitations, political unrest, lack of local expertise, and varying levels of technology and infrastructure across countries.

Why might governments limit or restrict the content of questionnaires in polls?

Governments may insist on approving questionnaires to control the information gathered, potentially limiting the scope of questions that can be asked to avoid sensitive topics.

How does the presence of armed conflicts or political unrest affect polling?

In regions with armed conflicts or political unrest, it can be dangerous to conduct surveys, thus limiting the feasibility of gathering public opinion data.

What factors determine the method of administering interviews in international polls?

The method of administering interviews depends on factors like internet access, telephone usage, and the feasibility of in-person interviewing, which varies by country.

How do pollsters ensure a diverse population is reached during face-to-face interviews?

Pollsters carefully plan where to send interviewers to reach a diverse population, considering the time and financial costs of traveling across a country.

What role do GPS-enabled devices play in international polling?

GPS-enabled devices like tablets and smartphones, along with satellite imagery, assist interviewers in conducting random sampling in areas lacking addresses or up-to-date maps.

Why is it important to translate questionnaires into multiple languages for international polls?

Translation ensures that the questionnaire is understandable to respondents in their native language, which is crucial for accurate data collection.

What challenges arise when translating questionnaires for international polls?

Translation challenges include maintaining consistency of meaning across languages, avoiding idioms, and ensuring that local cultural and political sensitivities are considered.

How does the Pew Research Center handle language diversity in its global surveys?

The Pew Research Center translates its surveys into multiple languages, such as over 40 languages for its 2018 Global Attitudes Survey, including 11 languages for India alone.

What strategies can help ensure the quality of translations in international polling?

Strategies include having local experts review questions, avoiding idioms, ensuring consistent meaning across translations, and testing the survey in all languages if resources allow.

Why is it critical to work with local professionals when conducting international polls?

Local professionals have the necessary training and cultural understanding, which is critical for addressing the unique technological, societal, and cultural dynamics of each country.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 International Polling Challenges

This paragraph discusses the complexities of conducting international polls. It highlights that polling methods must be adapted to different countries due to varying political, security, and cultural environments. The challenges include government regulations that may limit survey content, legal restrictions on public opinion research, and safety concerns due to conflicts or unrest. Additionally, the availability of local partners with the necessary expertise and infrastructure is crucial. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of considering these factors before conducting rigorous survey research across the globe.

Keywords

💡Polling

Polling refers to the process of surveying a sample of the population to gauge public opinion on various issues. In the context of the video, polling is the primary method used to understand how people in different countries think about topics like immigration, technology, and religion. The video highlights the challenges of conducting international polls due to varying political, technological, and societal factors.

💡International Poll

An international poll is a survey conducted across different countries to compare public opinions globally. The video emphasizes the complexity of international polling, as it requires adapting to the unique conditions of each country, such as government regulations, security, and cultural sensitivities.

💡Rigorous Survey Research

Rigorous survey research denotes a thorough and scientifically sound approach to polling that ensures the accuracy and reliability of the data collected. The video mentions that determining where rigorous survey research is possible is the first step in conducting an international poll, as it involves assessing the research infrastructure and skills available in a country.

💡Government Regulations

Government regulations are the rules and laws set by a country's governing body that can influence or restrict the types of questions that can be asked in a survey. The video points out that in some countries, governments may require approval of questionnaires, potentially limiting the scope of polling.

💡Technology

Technology plays a crucial role in the polling process, particularly in determining the mode of survey administration. The video discusses how the availability of the internet or telephone usage can make online or telephone polling more feasible in certain countries, while in-person interviews might be necessary in others.

💡Face-to-Face Interviewing

Face-to-face interviewing is a method of polling where interviewers meet respondents in person to conduct surveys. The video highlights the logistical challenges of this method, such as planning interview locations to ensure a diverse sample and managing the costs associated with travel.

💡Translation

Translation is the process of converting a questionnaire from one language to another to ensure that it is understandable to respondents in different countries. The video notes that translation is vital for international polls but also poses challenges in maintaining the consistency of meaning across languages.

💡Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity refers to the awareness and respect for the cultural differences that may affect how questions are understood and answered. The video stresses the importance of having local experts review questions for cultural and political sensitivities to ensure that the survey is appropriate and effective.

💡Random Sampling

Random sampling is a statistical method used to select a representative sample from a larger population. The video mentions the use of GPS-enabled devices and satellite imagery to assist in random sampling in areas where traditional addresses or maps are not available.

💡Mode of Survey Administration

Mode of survey administration refers to the method by which a survey is conducted, such as online, by telephone, or in person. The video discusses how the choice of mode depends on factors like internet access and telephone usage rates in different countries.

💡Representative Cross Section

A representative cross section is a sample of the population that accurately reflects the demographic makeup of the larger group. The video emphasizes the importance of reaching a representative cross section of the public through telephone surveys, which can be more effective in countries with higher telephone usage.

Highlights

International polling is essential for understanding global perspectives on various issues.

Polling methods must be adapted to the unique challenges of each country.

Government approval may be required for questionnaires, influencing what can be surveyed.

Laws in some countries may discourage or even prohibit public opinion research.

Armed conflicts or political unrest can make certain areas too dangerous for polling.

The novelty of polling in some regions means a lack of experienced local partners.

Researchers must assess the availability of research infrastructure and skills on the ground.

Safety conditions for fieldwork and government regulations are critical considerations.

Online polling is feasible in countries with widespread internet access.

Telephone surveys are effective where telephone usage is more common.

Face-to-face interviewing is used in areas with limited internet or phone access.

Face-to-face polling requires careful planning to reach a diverse population.

Technology like GPS-enabled devices aids in random sampling in areas without addresses.

Translation of questionnaires is crucial for survey accuracy across languages.

Consistency in translation is key to ensuring comparable meanings across languages.

Avoiding idioms and cultural phrases is important for clear question comprehension.

Local experts should review questions for cultural and political sensitivities.

Survey testing in all languages helps identify potential confusion or misinterpretation.

No one-size-fits-all approach exists for international polling; it requires country-specific strategies.

Collaboration with trained local professionals is essential for successful international polling.

Transcripts

- How is polling done around the world?

(quirky strings music) (marker scratching)

International polling provides information

about how people in different countries

are thinking about issues like immigration,

technology, religion, you name it.

But polling in different parts of the world

can be very challenging,

because what works in one country

may not work in a different country.

For this episode of Methods 101,

I'm enlisting the help of some of my colleagues

who grapple with those challenges every day.

- The first step in conducting

an international poll is determining where

it's possible to conduct rigorous survey research.

In some countries, governments insist

on approving the questionnaire,

thus potentially limiting what can be asked.

In other cases, laws may discourage

public opinion research altogether.

Also, armed conflicts or political unrest

can make it too dangerous to survey

in certain parts of the world,

but keep in mind, it's not just the political

or security environment that matters.

Polling is a relatively new enterprise

in some parts of the world,

so there may not be many local partners

who have the experience and knowhow

to conduct high-quality surveys.

The bottom line is that researchers

have to carefully consider whether

the necessary research infrastructure and skills

are available on the ground,

whether conditions are safe for field work,

and whether government regulations make it possible

to ask the kinds of questions researchers need to ask.

- So after pollsters decide which countries to survey

they need to determine how to administer the interview.

In some countries, nearly everyone has internet access,

making online polling feasible.

In other parts of the world, telephone usage is higher

so telephone surveys are more effective

for reaching a representative cross section of the public.

But, in countries where many people

are not easily reached by the internet or phone,

in person or face-to-face interviewing is often used.

However, this type of polling

comes with its own set of challenges.

For example, pollsters conducting face-to-face surveys

have to think carefully about where to send each interviewer

in order to reach a diverse set of the population

while balancing the time and money it requires

to travel across a country.

Also, in some countries, nearly all households

have addresses making it more straight-forward

to draw a national sample, but in other countries,

many households don't have an address

which poses a challenge for interviewers in the fields.

Fortunately, thanks to technology,

fields interviewers are increasingly provided with

GPS-enabled tablets, smartphones, and even satellite imagery

to help them conduct random sampling in locations

where addresses or up-to-date maps are not available.

- It's also important to determine

which languages are spoken in a country

so that researchers can translate

the questionnaire when needed.

Here at the Pew Research Center, for example,

we translated our 2018 Global Attitudes Survey

into more than 40 languages,

including 11 languages in India alone.

Translation raises a whole other set of challenges

around consistency though, as researchers want questions

to be comparable in terms of meaning,

no matter what language they're administered in.

For instance, to translate the phrase "a free society,"

you want to ensure that "free" is translated

to mean "open" or "unrestrained" as opposed to without cost.

It's also important to avoid idioms or phrases

that may be common in one country but not in another.

And whenever possible, it's a good strategy

to have local experts review questions

for any cultural or political sensitivities to be aware of.

If resources allow, testing the survey in all the languages

will help identify whether a translation is confusing

or likely to be misinterpreted.

- So, as you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all approach

to conducting an international poll.

Success depends on addressing the technological,

societal, and cultural dynamics unique to each country,

and working with professionals who are trained

and local to the country

is a critical part in making that happen.