Simplifying Survey Terms

Survey ratings of contenders have become a staple of news reports during the election season.

CHEERS TO Rappler.com for running a piece explaining and defining the terms often used in the surveys on voter preference for national candidates.

Rappler posted “Confused by surveys: What do terms mean?” on Feb. 18, providing an explanation of the terms usually used in surveys. Among the terms discussed in the piece were:

• Percentage and percentage points
• Margin of error, how it is determined and interpreted
• Confidence level
• Statistical tie

Rappler also sought the insights of Dr. Jose Ramon Albert, statistician and senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, who explained how sample size affects survey outcomes. Although these are usually dismissed by candidates, Albert said in the report that they “provide a snapshot of how people think at a particular moment in time.”

With the national elections approaching, the survey ratings of candidates have become a staple of the news. Past CMFR election monitors show an increasing number of reports on surveys in the front pages of the three leading manila broadsheets (a total of 38 in 2004, 139 in 2010). But while these are given that much importance by media organizations, explanations on the meaning of the results and contextual analysis are usually lacking.  Efforts like Rappler’s piece provide the electorate an understanding of the meaning of the numbers that can help them make sense of what the surveys are saying.