Survey Analysis: Evaluating Polling Errors, News Sources, and Validity

This assignment delves into the analysis of survey data, focusing on identifying errors in polling, evaluating various news sources, and determining the validity and reliability of information. The student examines a Daily Show clip to identify survey problems related to wording, sampling errors, and the presence of a magical error. The assignment also explores the student's primary sources of daily news, with television, newspapers, and mobile applications being the main sources. Furthermore, the student outlines how they determine the validity of information, considering the source's reliability and the people who depend on the source. Finally, the assignment addresses how to become better informed when information is not trusted, emphasizing the importance of verifying information and considering the diversity of the survey's participants. The assignment utilizes references to support the analysis and arguments presented.

Running head: SURVEY
Sociology
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2
SURVEY
Question one: Polling data errors in the Daily show clip
There are several survey problems evident in the Daily Show clip. First, one of the main
challenges is the wording. The surveyor's form of wording assists the respondents in the survey
to have a specific type of answer. However, it is essential that a study to be neutral; the
participants should not have a clue on how to respond to the questions according to Karen
Sternheimer, 2009. The next error in polling data is the sampling error. When doing a survey, the
data that the researchers collect should come from different places. Randomness in sampling
assist in providing an accurate outcome of polling as possible. However, the population is
significant, but the surveyors are only taking few samples from a specific area to represent the
whole population according to Bryman, (2016). In this case, the idea does not reflect the real
picture of the issue. It is essential that there should be a random sampling. The participants
should be of different ages, sex and come from different geographical areas. The last problem is
the existence of a magical error. The surveyors assume that the result should be plus or minus a
positive value. It is one of the causes of an inaccurate outcome of a survey.
Question 2: Where I get most of the news daily.
There are many sources of daily news that I depend on to get daily news. However, my
primary source of information is television. They give constant updates regarding the things that
happen in the nation and in the whole world. The second is the newspapers. They provide all the
necessary updates in a single copy of newspaper. Consequently, newspapers do not provide
constant data concerning the new events. Apart from the above source, there are mobile phone
applications that are also reliable. There are several loggers who inform people of news updates
as they occur, however, the challenge is that some of the information is misleading.

3
SURVEY
Question 3: How I determine the validity and reliability of the information.
The determination of the reliability of the information includes the source of information.
For example, mobile applications do not prove to be reliable because it is an idea from a single
individual. However, sources like the national television station are valid because many people
depend on them and in case, they give wrong information, they risk being sued in reference to
Heeringa, West & Berglund, (2017). Apart from that, the other thing to ensure is that before
deciding the source of news to depend on, it is necessary to consider the people who depend on
the source. In most cases, the source that have most intellectuals depending on it can qualify to e
the valid source.
Question 4: How to be better informed if you do not trust the information.
The first step is to stop spreading the information to other people if you have not
confirmed its authenticity. The second step is to try and reach an authenticated source to verify
that the information is appropriate. Apart from the above steps, one can also consider the number
of people who were interviewed during the study and the diversity of the people who had been
involved in the given survey according to Moser, & Kalton, (2017).

4
SURVEY
References
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford university press. Vol.2 p.57
Heeringa, S. G., West, B. T., & Berglund, P. A. (2017). Applied survey data analysis. Chapman
and Hall/CRC. Vol.1 p.233
Karen Sternheimer, September 03, 2009, Thinking Like a Sociologist: Deconstructing Polls.
https://nortonbooks.typepad.com/everydaysociology/2009/09/thinking-like-a-sociologist-
deconstructing-polls.html
Moser, C. A., & Kalton, G. (2017). Survey methods in social investigation. Routledge. Vol.3,
p.48