Opinion Polls

Opinion polls are sample-based and interview-led quantitative surveys designed for collecting information on the attitudes and behaviors of a given population on a certain set of social, political, ethical, or economic issues. In both historical and methodological terms, opinion polls are closely linked to market research, of which they represent a subsequent extension to the study of public opinion. It was consumer research that first used sampling and interviewing to analyze the habits, interests, needs, and preferences of consumers. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, companies have employed quantitative surveys, alongside qualitative research techniques, for such diverse purposes as probing consumer perceptions or revealing consumer trends, gathering consumer feedback or monitoring consumer moods. A broad majority of polling organizations continue to base their business ...