Understanding the Numbers Presented in Tables
There are some tables that are straightforward. The Roper Center's iPOLL database offers the top-line results to survey questions--toplines are how the full aggregated sample answered the questions.
iPOLL example:
You might say that the public is evenly split on judging the integrity of pollsters, according to this November 2002 telephone conducted by Harris Interactive and obtained from the Roper Center at the University of Connecticut.
Harris Poll [November, 2002]
Would you generally trust each of the following types of people to tell the truth, or not? ...Pollsters
44% Would trust
43% Would not
13% Not sure/Refused
Methodology: Conducted by Harris Interactive, November 14-November 18, 2002 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,010. [USHARRIS.112702.R1O]
Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut. |
Crosstabulation tables can be more complicated. Crosstabs offer a look at how different groups within the sample answered the question. In other words, the table below can be summarized in this manner:
A New York Times poll in June 2000 found that among whites, 81% thought race relations in their community were "good", while 72% of black respondents found this to be the case. Conversely, 14% of whites and 22% of blacks identified their community race relations as "bad". Among those who identified with the "other" race category, 79% responded good and 18% bad to the question of race relations in their community. There were too few Asians in the sample to be able to statistically rely upon the percentages. These data were provided by the Roper Center at the University of Connecticut.
Cells contain:
-Column %
-N of cases |
Are you white, black, Asian, or some other race? |
| Do you think race relations in YOUR COMMUNITY are generally good or generally bad? |
|
White |
Black or
African-American |
Asian |
Other |
Refused |
Row
Total |
| Good |
81.4
1409 |
72.4
171 |
91.5
21 |
79.0
124 |
63.6
12 |
80.2
1737 |
| Bad |
13.8
239 |
21.7
51 |
8.5
2 |
18.4
29 |
32.0
6 |
15.1
327 |
Don't Know/
No Answer |
4.8
83 |
6.0
14 |
0
0 |
2.6
4 |
4.4
1 |
4.7
102 |
| Col. Total |
100.0
1730 |
100.0
237 |
100.0
23 |
100.0
157 |
100.0
18 |
100.0
2165 |
Source: New York Times Poll, Race Relations in America, June 2000
Data provided by the Roper Center at the University of Connecticut.
For further information please contact The Roper Center at 860.486.4440 or rcweb@ropercenter.uconn.edu.
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