Grandpa Harley Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Rather a fine piece from the site I help run... http://www.wunderkabinett.co.uk/damndata/i...a-believer.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 It brings out some important points about polls and also about believe and a few other items. I'm not really sure what point you wanted to discuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Now I see your title. Are You A Believer?, The Emperor vents on the pointlessness of polls... The way he puts it, polls do look awfully pointless. I don't think that says all polls are pointless. I do think it means that one shouldn't blindly accept the results of any and all polls out there. The very first thing I noticed about his report was the name of the poll. I didn't recognize it. That's bad. Polls need to develop a reputation. I think the Gallup Poll and Barna Poll are fairly widely trusted in this part of the world. I don't know about the UK. I also noticed that the poster seems not to know the first thing about putting together, introducing, or identifying a legitimate scientific poll. There's ways to put polls or questionnaires together to get the information you need for the purposes of your research project, but you need a fair amount of training and it requires a lot of thought. You don't just throw together a batch of questions you're curious about. Any polster who makes the kind of intro this person suggests is simply not worth listening to. But when a person gives their own name, identifies as being with the Ontario Ministry of Health, and describes in detail who is doing the survey, what it's for, why, and covers all the legal questions and information that I know they have to cover when doing formal research, then I am confident it's real even though it's on the phone on a Sunday evening from a perfect stranger. And, if it's legal, I have a right to terminate at any point but they will hope like hell I won't. I might still hang up on them just because I don't feel like doing a survey. But I'm saying there's probably ways of identifying the legal ones from the scams. Surveys or polls don't have to be something as practical as Ministry of Health in order to be legal and legitimate. I've contacted people by telephone when I wanted to do an academic research project. I'm sure you know this, Gramps, but maybe some readers don't. To do this legally, one needs clearance and approval from the research ethics committee of the school. I had to write up what I would say when I contacted people by phone and the questions I would ask, etc. I had to submit all of this to the ethics committee for approval before I was allowed to contact anybody. The school has forms and sample questions on its website for this purpose--you can probably find similar info on any reputable school's website. I no longer remember what I said in my intro, but I think if I did it today and called up a stranger cold, I'd give my personal name along with the name of my school and perhaps the department I'm studying with or the name of the project I'm calling about. Somewhere along the line I would also be required by law to provide contact info for them to do a background check on me, i.e. the name of the person on the ethics committee who issued the approval for the project.That's basically the type of info the lady from the Ministry of Health gave me when she called me that Sunday evening. That sort of thing tells you it's official and legal. My point is that a poll or survey put together by this kind of person is more likely to be worthwhile and to have a point. First of all, the person is serious enough to have put in the effort to go the legal route of red tape, which can mean a six week wait period. Secondly, the poll or questionnaire is reviewed by professionals, which gives it a much better chance of being well-constructed. Nothing is ever guaranteed but the chances are better. Thirdly, a person in a position to provide you with the contact info of ethics approval personnel is most likely involved in an institution sanctioned by the law of the land. I think these items should be taken into consideration before writing off polls altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted November 3, 2007 Author Share Posted November 3, 2007 Well, you've got a standing invite over there to post what you will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Well, you've got a standing invite over there to post what you will And what does that mean? I understand myself to have the right to post anything on exC within the sanctions of these forums. So what's your invitation for? Sorry, I'm a bit dense here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Let's see. Within the context of this thread, maybe it means you're inviting me to post that message on your site. I see! That makes sense. I'll look into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 I posted it as a comment on that blog but I think it got on the wrong entry. I can't figure out how to change it--it won't let me post to the right entry. I guess they'll figure out what's supposed to be what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted November 4, 2007 Author Share Posted November 4, 2007 Almost certainly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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