What the Public Knows – In Words, Pictures, Maps and Graphs
About the Survey
The analysis in this report is based on a survey conducted August 7-14, 2013 among a sample of 1,052 adults, 18 years of age or older. The survey was conducted by the GfK Group using KnowledgePanel, its nationally representative online research panel. KnowledgePanel members are recruited through probability sampling methods and include both those with internet access and those without. KnowledgePanel provides internet access for those who do not have it and, if needed, a device to access the internet when they join the panel. A combination of random digit dialing (RDD) and address-based sampling (ABS) methodologies have been used to recruit panel members (in 2009 KnowledgePanel switched its sampling methodology for recruiting panel members from RDD to ABS). The panel comprises households with landlines and cellular phones, including those only with cell phones, and those without a phone. Both the RDD and ABS samples were provided by Marketing Systems Group (MSG). KnowledgePanel continually recruits new panel members throughout the year to offset panel attrition as people leave the panel. The survey was conducted in English. Respondents were selected randomly from eligible adult household members of the panel. All sampled members received an initial email August 7-8, 2013 to notify them of the survey and included a link to the survey questionnaire. One follow-up reminder was sent three days later to those who had not yet responded.
The final sample for this survey was weighted using an iterative technique that matches gender, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, household income, metropolitan area or not, and region to parameters from the July 2013 Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS). In addition, the sample is weighted to match current patterns of internet access from the July 2011 CPS survey. This weight is multiplied by an initial base or sampling weight that corrects for differences in the probability of selection of various segments of the sample and by a panel weight that adjusts for any biases due to nonresponse and noncoverage at the panel recruitment stage (using all of the parameters mentioned above as well home ownership status).
Sampling errors and statistical tests of significance take into account the effect of weighting at each of these stages. Sampling error for the total sample of 1,052 respondents is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence. Sample sizes and sampling errors for other subgroups are available upon request.
In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.
About the News IQ Quizzes
News IQ quizzes have been conducted at least twice a year since 2007. The quizzes pose questions to the public about specific policy proposals, concepts, events, places and people in the news. For previous reports see February 2013, August 2012, April 2012, October 2011, March 2011, November 2010, July 2010, January 2010, October 2009, April 2009, December 2008, February 2008, September 2007 and April 2007. The results from these nationally representative samples of the public are then used to create the quizzes found on PewResearch.org, where visitors can compare their level of knowledge with the public’s.
The current News IQ is the third in the series to employ visual questions (the first was in October 2011). Because the questions asked about people’s knowledge using pictures, charts and maps, a web-based survey was used so people could see and respond to the pictures in the questions. The survey was conducted using GfK Knowledge Networks’ KnowledgePanel, an online nationally representative panel of households recruited through probability-based (random) sampling methods. More typically, the News IQ quizzes are administered to a random sample of respondents reached on landlines or cell phones.
The specific questions used in the News IQ quizzes are selected to reflect a range of topical areas and different levels of familiarity to the public. The goal is to include questions that cover facts and concepts that can serve as indicators of the public’s awareness of information about important issues in the news.
In addition to the News IQ surveys, the Pew Research Center also regularly includes measures of knowledge in its other survey research. These are typically used to help assess how awareness of and knowledge about issues relates to people’s attitudes and opinions on those issues.