Problems with poll

From: James Mahaffy (mahaffy@mtcnet.net)
Date: Tue Jan 25 2000 - 21:21:14 EST

  • Next message: Terry M. Gray: "Re: More Analysis"

    Folks,

            I commend the effort that Roy has made, but I am afraid the poll is
    flawed because Roy did not make or modify the questions enough to
    address his own research questions or modify it for a different
    audience. I know there were questions the reflected the original
    pollsters, who didn't understand some of the Christian positions and as
    I indicated earlier should have been reworded. Unfortunately I don't
    think the poll sampled a percentage of any group or even randomly
    sampled any groups. That being the case, one can not validly generalize
    beyond the folks who took it. Unless you know you have a representative
    or random sample of a population generalities simply can not be validly
    made beyond the folks who responded to the poll.

            Yes, the results in this sample may be indicative of things that should
    be checked out but I really think few conclusions can be drawn to the
    larger populations of scientists who have different positions on
    origins.

            If more work had been done on modifying questions and thinking about
    sampling methodology, the poll would have results that could be very
    interesting.

    -- 
    James and Florence Mahaffy    712 722-0381 (Home)
    227 S. Main St.              712 722-6279 (Office)
    Sioux Center, IA 51250
    



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