Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan polling organization that provides information about issues, attitudes, and trends shaping
America. In a poll, Pew researchers found that 47% of American adult respondents reported getting at least some local news on their cell phone or tablet computer (Pew Research website, May 14, 2011). Further findings showed that 42% of respondents who own cell phones or tablet computers use those devices to check local weather reports and 37% use the devices to find local restaurants or other businesses. a. One statistic concerned using cell phones or tablet computers for local news. What population is that finding applicable to
The reason why polls are carried out is to obtain information that can represent the opinions, status or habits of the population. The polls do not include the total population, then include a small number of participants, but the results are extrapolated to the general population. There are always small margins of error resulting from polls, that is why the confidence levels are usually +/- 3 or 4%.
