Comments on: YouGov methodology tweaks

By: Andrew Grainger

Andrew Grainger — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:00:41 +0000

The only poll that matters is the election. Personally, I would ban opinion polls. They have had an adverse effect on the economy, as the market sniffs a hung parliament or a Labour victory. They may also have an anti-democratic effect, the trends themselves becoming a thing that influences people’s voting intention. Frankly, I am sick of hearing about them and would rather hear more from all the parties on what they really will do if they win the election. It’s not just the Tories who aren’t being clear about that.

By: GD

GD — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:46:35 +0000

“As I’ve said several times before, this doesn’t actually matter that much when it comes to final results – what is important is what the demographics of the sample are AFTER weighting, is that representative?”

This is a little misleading, since it assumes that there is a minimum sample size in each cell. If you’re very short of, say, DE women aged 65+ then you’ll be applying terrifying factors. I’ve always been more comfortable when weighting is applied to *downweight* over samples in specific sub-groups rather than *upweighting* those underpresented in the survey.

By: Edward

Edward — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:05:23 +0000

I have been on the YOUGOV panel almost since it started but have never been asked to update my profile, although my circumstances have changed substantially over the the last 10 years. An out of date panel profile must surely be a source of error, now that so much weighting is necessary?

By: Wolf MacNeill

Wolf MacNeill — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:46:08 +0000

And, Ken, as you both maintain a Lib Dem MP, you are enhancing the prospect of one day voting under STV, and thus being able to return ‘home’, to vote Tory and Labour respectively.

Good sense all round!

By: ken

ken — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:49:34 +0000

@TREVORSDEN……………..My previous – I’d vote Tory if there was a chance of winning the seat , what a sacrifice in the interest of the greater good eh !