Quinnipiac University Poll: Methodology and Impact
The Quinnipiac University Poll, based at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, has garnered national recognition for its independent surveys of residents throughout the United States. It conducts public opinion polls on politics and public policy as a public service as well as for academic research. The poll has been cited by major news outlets throughout North America and Europe, including The Washington Post, Fox News, USA Today, The New York Times, CNN, and Reuters. Poll results are also aggregated by ABC News' FiveThirtyEight. The Quinnipiac University Poll has distinguished itself by becoming one of the most trusted names among polling organizations and is widely cited by journalists, public officials and researchers.
Overview of Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 9,715 students in 110 degree programs through its Schools of Business, Communications, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine, Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences.
History and Evolution
Founded in 1988, the first polls were conducted in the state of Connecticut as part of a class project by the late Paul Falcigno, a marketing research professor at then Quinnipiac College. To date, surveys have been conducted in more than twenty states. National polling began in 2001. Dr. Schwartz started with a single computer and a dozen phones.
Methodology: The Gold Standard
The Quinnipiac University Poll uses what has long been considered the gold standard methodology in polling: random digit dialing using live interviewers, calling both landlines and cell phones. This methodology has been the key to our accuracy over our many years of polling. The Quinnipiac University Poll collects data using live phone interviewers and scientific based methodology considered to be the gold standard in the industry.
Random Digit Dialing (RDD)
The Quinnipiac University Poll conducts polling through random digit dialing with live interviewers. Polls utilize 100-200 interviewers consisting of university students and Hamden residents, dialing both landlines and cell phones. Phone numbers are obtained from market research company Dynata. The Quinnipiac University Poll relies on random samples of the population to complete surveys. We use randomly generated lists of phone numbers in a process called Random Digit Dialing or RDD. This process only generates phone numbers, not names or personal identifying information.
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Call-Back Attempts
In the event of a missed call, Quinnipiac attempts four call-backs. If there is no answer, we will "call back" that number. We will call every number where there is no answer at least four times.
Within-Household Selection
If a household with multiple members is reached, interviewers ask to speak to the individual with the closest upcoming birthday as a quasirandom within-household selection method.
Target Audience
Quinnipiac University polls target American adults aged 18 and over. For political polling, Quinnipiac identifies registered and likely voters from screening questions. Some poll results are based on registered voters (self-identified), rather than all adults, because of a focus on politics and elections. Screener questions are used to determine likely voters. Different screener questions may be used depending on the type of election (i.e. primary vs. general election, presidential vs. mid-term election, etc.). All adults, regardless of voter registration status, are interviewed because we utilize recent Census data of the 18-year-old and over population for weighting purposes.
Interview Process
Only live callers, not prerecorded voices, are used to conduct Quinnipiac University polls. We have 200 Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) stations with interviewers manually dialing all telephone numbers.
Identifying Quinnipiac University Poll Calls
When our interviewers call, Quinnipiac’s name and telephone number will show up on many caller ID displays, whether it’s a cell phone or landline. Our interviewers will leave a message to let you know who we are, why we are calling, and that we will be calling back. That way, you will be able to identify our telephone number and answer if you’d like to participate the next time an interviewer calls.
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Data Adjustment and Weighting
After we collect our data, we make statistical adjustments to match Census data so that our findings can mirror the demographics of the population. Weighting is a statistical adjustment of the data. Gender, age, education, race, and region are the demographics that are weighted to reflect Census information.
Margin of Error
Because pollsters can’t interview every person in the population, samples of the population are taken and they report a Margin of Error with survey results. For example, let’s say a survey finds that 40% of registered voters support Candidate A and the margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Transparency and Ethical Standards
Being transparent about methodology is an important best practice. The Quinnipiac University Poll is a charter member of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative.
Funding and Independence
As a part of the Office of Marketing and Communications within Quinnipiac University, polls are fully funded by the university.
The People Behind the Poll
Dr. Schwartz has curated a full-time staff with vast survey research, public policy, and social science experience as well as nationally recognized journalists. Schwartz began his career as a survey associate with the CBS News election and survey unit and as an election night analyst for the late 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley. A 33-year veteran of television news and a seasoned political reporter, Malloy has won 14 Emmy Awards for documentary work and war coverage. He coauthored a New York Times best-selling nonfiction book with James Patterson in 2016. As a former correspondent for CNN, she reported on everything from presidential elections to congressional and state races, financial markets and breaking news events.
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Impact and Recognition
Frequently cited by national and international media outlets, public officials and researchers, the independent Quinnipiac University Poll is universally regarded as the gold standard and one of the most trusted names among polling organizations. Ranging from topics like politics, elections and issues of public concern, the Quinnipiac University Poll is widely known and highly regarded for its exactness and thoroughness and as a barometer of public opinion on the issues that matter most to the American people.
Examples of Poll Usage
Krugman, who has been a columnist for The New York Times since 2000 and is a distinguished professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center, cited the results of swing-state polls being conducted Quinnipiac.
Sports Polling
In the wake of a major gambling scandal involving the National Basketball Association (NBA) and allegations of illegal betting, 33 percent of Americans think NBA coaches and players are either very often (12 percent) or somewhat often (21 percent) involved in illegal activities to influence betting on NBA games, according to a November 6 Quinnipiac sports poll of adults nationwide. A majority of Americans (56 percent) give the idea of a holiday weekend Super Bowl a thumbs up, while 18 percent oppose it and 26 percent did not offer an opinion, according to a Quinnipiac national sports poll of adults released today.
The Polling Perspective Podcast
The Polling Perspective with Doug Schwartz is a podcast produced by the Quinnipiac University Poll and Quinnipiac University Podcasts. The podcast gives a behind-the-scenes look at public opinion polling and what is going on in politics today through a series of informal conversations between experts in the field.
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