8 episodes

Ever wondered how opinion polls work? As election fever grows - so does the importance of opinion polls which today are an essential part of modern political life. Political strategists, voters and the media all lap up the data generated - but where does it come from? How many people do you need to interview to get trustworthy data? and just how easy is it to predict the future based on the opinions of the present?

Opinion Polls in a Nutshell - for iPod/iPhone The Open University

    • Science

Ever wondered how opinion polls work? As election fever grows - so does the importance of opinion polls which today are an essential part of modern political life. Political strategists, voters and the media all lap up the data generated - but where does it come from? How many people do you need to interview to get trustworthy data? and just how easy is it to predict the future based on the opinions of the present?

    • video
    Opinion Polls in a Nutshell

    Opinion Polls in a Nutshell

    Ever wondered how opinion polls work? As election fever grows - so does the importance of opinion polls which today are an essential part of modern political life. Political strategists, voters and the media all lap up the data generated - but where does it come from? How many people do you need to interview to get trustworthy data? and just how easy is it to predict the future based on the opinions of the present?

    • 5 min
    Transcript -- Opinion Polls in a Nutshell

    Transcript -- Opinion Polls in a Nutshell

    Ever wondered how opinion polls work? As election fever grows - so does the importance of opinion polls which today are an essential part of modern political life. Political strategists, voters and the media all lap up the data generated - but where does it come from? How many people do you need to interview to get trustworthy data? and just how easy is it to predict the future based on the opinions of the present?

    • video
    Polls and predictions

    Polls and predictions

    How do opinion polls actually predict whose going to win an election?
    Learn how the UK electoral system makes predicting elections especially difficult.

    • 1 min
    Transcript -- Polls and predictions

    Transcript -- Polls and predictions

    How do opinion polls actually predict whose going to win an election?
    Learn how the UK electoral system makes predicting elections especially difficult.

    • video
    What's the point of Exit Polls?

    What's the point of Exit Polls?

    Self explanatory as it seems, there's more to Exit Polls than the name suggests. Learn what makes them a valuable tool for voters, politicians and the media alike. Said to be so accurate and influential they can predict future results and even help to avoid fraud.

    • 1 min
    Transcript -- What's the point of Exit Polls?

    Transcript -- What's the point of Exit Polls?

    Self explanatory as it seems, there's more to Exit Polls than the name suggests. Learn what makes them a valuable tool for voters, politicians and the media alike. Said to be so accurate and influential they can predict future results and even help to avoid fraud.

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