FAQ
Q: Why are you doing this?
A: This is an academic research study. The goal is to accurately measure the preferences of the public on a wide variety of topics.
Q: Why should I participate?
A: Participating provides an opportunity for you to share your opinions on events, issues, and other important topics. Public opinion surveys give academics, journalists, and policymakers critical information that helps to inform research priorities and decision-making processes.
Q: Do I have to take this survey?
A: You do not have to take the survey.
Q: You say "poll" sometimes and "survey" other times. Is there a difference?
A: For all practical purposes, no. There are no differences between these two terms in this case. The overall project is called "The Dartmouth Poll" (TDP), but it is a public opinion survey.
Q: Is "The Dartmouth Poll" (TDP) related to the campus student newspaper, The Dartmouth?
A: No. The student newspaper, The Dartmouth, occasionally surveys students. The names sound similar, but the two polls are different (e.g., different goals, methods, samples).
Q: How were people selected to participate?
A: Individuals were selected at random from lists of registered voters.
Q: How did you get my name and address?
A: State and local officials are required by law to maintain lists with the names and addresses of registered voters in the United States. Data vendor firms acquire, organize, and maintain these publicly available lists for use in non-commercial ways, including nonprofit academic research. The TDP project uses lists from the data provider firm L2 (https://www.l2-data.com/states/).
Q: How can I have my name removed by the data vendor that supplied my name?
A: You may submit an opt-out request to L2 at https://www.l2-data.com/sslo986363-opt-1-1-o/ to start the process of having your name removed.
Q: How can I have my name removed right now so that I am not contacted for this survey?
A: Submit your request to be removed from The Dartmouth Poll (TDP) study to the.dartmouth.poll@dartmouth.edu. Include your exact name, address, and any other information or codes you were sent so that you can be removed. In a follow-up message, you may be asked to confirm your identity and to confirm that you wish to be removed.
Q: What happens with the answers I provide? Will my name be used?
A: Your individual responses will be kept confidential. We will never use your name without your permission. The responses you provide will be reported in the aggregate in news reports about the polls, academic journal articles, and reports. The patterns will help paint a clearer picture of public opinion and relationships in the data.
Q: Can I skip questions?
A: Yes. You might be prompted to make sure you do not wish to respond, but you can skip questions or use the "don't know," "unsure," or "other" response options if provided.
Q: Can someone else take the survey for me?
A: No. To ensure the validity of our methodology, it is important that we hear from you. If you are unable to enter your responses and need assistance, please contact the survey researchers at the.dartmouth.poll@dartmouth.edu. Again, though, it is important that the person who received the invitation takes the survey.
Q: Does it matter how quickly I respond?
A: Each survey will be open for a limited time after the invitations are sent, typically for about one week. To ensure that your views are recorded, please respond promptly.
Q: How long will the survey take to complete?
A: The survey is estimated to take approximately 5 minutes for the typical person, but completion times will vary depending upon a variety of individual and technological factors.
Q: I received a code to participate in the survey, but I lost it. Can I still participate?
A: If the survey is still open, please send an email to the.dartmouth.poll@dartmouth.edu for your code and instructions to complete the survey. Surveys periods close in order to tabulate the results, so responding early is recommended in order to have your views counted.
Q: I was not invited to take your survey, but how can I be included?
A: The polling project is specifically designed to measure the views of those who were invited to take the survey. If you wish to participate in other academic research studies, send your name and contact information to the Rockefeller Center at the.dartmouth.poll@dartmouth.edu to add your name to a list for possible use in different surveys in the future.
Q: Will I be asked to give money?
A: No. You will never be asked for money or to buy anything.
Q: Will I earn anything by taking the survey?
A: Some polls may include incentives, such as being entered into a sweepstakes drawing for a gift card or other prizes. Each person who completes the survey will have a chance to enter their name for the drawing if there is a drawing. The odds depend upon how many people take the survey and wish to be considered for the drawing. Winners will be determined within a few weeks after the initial survey has concluded. To be eligible, individuals must confirm their identity, consent, take the survey, and then agree to be considered for the drawing, which will mean providing names and contact information. Winners must fill out administrative paperwork and provide contact information.
Q: How many people have been contacted?
A: The size of the sample will vary, but typically thousands of people will be invited to participate. As with most surveys, not all of these people will respond, so the actual number of responses will be less than the total number who were invited.
Q: What if only some types of people respond?
A: Studying who responds and who does not is something that the researchers will consider. Statistical adjustments through survey weights and other analytical corrections will be employed to make the overall survey data patterns representative.
Q: Will my responses be made public?
A: Nothing about you will be posted publicly. Instead, the responses of all those who take the survey will be reported in aggregate-form in reports, research papers, and journal articles (e.g., 50% support vs. 50% oppose). In addition, the unidentified dataset will be posted in a public archive. This means that your responses, along with those of many others may appear in a dataset one day. However, those datasets will never include your name, address, or any other information that could be linked to you.
Q: Where will the results of the survey be made public?
A: Once the survey has ended, a report with the findings will be available on communications websites at Dartmouth and at the Rockefeller Center.
Q: What happens after the survey? How will the results and data be used?
A: As noted above, there will be reports generated with the overall data patterns. These will be posted publicly or shared via the internet. There might also be academic research projects as well in the form of books or articles. Any data used to generate these reports or research products will be anonymized (i.e., de-identified) before it is posted publicly.
Q: Are you seeking to sway public opinion in some direction?
A: This research is not intended to support or oppose any political candidate or office. The research has no affiliation with any political candidate or campaign and has received no financial support from any political candidate or campaign.
Q: Is this study being reviewed at Dartmouth?
A: This project has been reviewed by the Committee to Protect Human Subjects (CPHS) at Dartmouth, which is a campus organization that is often called an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Human Subjects Committee (HSC) at many other colleges and universities.
Q: Will the responses be weighted?
A: Yes, survey weights will be created and used to ensure that the sample is representative of the target population.
Q: How is your survey funded?
A: The project is currently funded through the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Q: How can I learn more about the Rockefeller Center?
A: Use an internet browser to go to https://rockefeller.dartmouth.edu
Q: Who is running the survey at Dartmouth?
A: The lead survey project investigator is Dr. Jason Barabas, the Director of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences. Other researchers, faculty, and students from the academic community will be asked to contribute survey content or be involved with the analysis of the data. In some cases, the poll you are invited to take will be conducted in conjunction with classes.
Q: Will I be contacted again in the future?
A: After taking the survey, participants will often be asked if they wish to be included in future polls and, if so, to provide contact information (e.g., name and email address).
If you have additional questions, please feel free to send them to the.dartmouth.poll@dartmouth.edu