---
"title": "Methodology"
"description": "About the survey Results for the survey are based on telephone interviews conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates among a nationwide sample of 8,378 adults, 18 years of age or older, during the period October 10 – November 26, 2000. For results based on the total sample during October 10 – November […]"
"date": "2000-12-03"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Lee Rainie"
    "job_title": "Former Director, Internet and Technology Research"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/lee-rainie/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2000/12/03/methodology-167-2/"
---

# Methodology

### About the survey

Results for the survey are based on telephone interviews conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates among a nationwide sample of 8,378 adults, 18 years of age or older, during the period October 10 – November 26, 2000.

For results based on the total sample during October 10 – November 19 (N=7,426), one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 1.5 percentage points. For results based on online users (N=4,186) during this period, the sampling error is plus or minus 2 percentage points. For results based on election news consumers (N=1,435) during this period, the sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

For results based on online users (N=2,876) during the period of October 10 – November 9, the sampling error is plus or minus 2 percentage points. For results based on election news consumers (N=841) during this period, the sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

For results based on all adults (N=3,234) during the period November 10-26, the sampling error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

<strong>ONLINE FOR ELECTION NEWS BY DEMOGRAPHICS<br></strong>(Based on General Public)

|  | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | (N) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | % | % | % |  |
| ***Total*** | 4 | 6 | 18 | -7426 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Sex*** |  |  |  |  |
| Male | 5 | 9 | 21 | -3629 |
| Female | 2 | 3 | 15 | -3797 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Age*** |  |  |  |  |
| Under 30 | 5 | 8 | 25 | -1540 |
| 30-49 | 5 | 8 | 22 | -2985 |
| 50-64 | 2 | 4 | 15 | -1446 |
| 65+ | \* | 2 | 3 | -1272 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Sex and Age*** |  |  |  |
| Men under 50 | 7 | 10 | 25 | -2359 |
| Women under 50 | 4 | 4 | 20 | -2166 |
| Men 50+ | 2 | 4 | 13 | -1207 |
| Women 50+ | 2 | 2 | 7 | -1511 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Race*** |  |  |  |  |
| White | 4 | 7 | 19 | -5953 |
| Black | 3 | 2 | 12 | -807 |
| Hispanic\* | n/a | 6 | 16 | -499 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Education*** |  |  |  |
| College Grad. | 9 | 12 | 33 | -2281 |
| Some College | 4 | 9 | 24 | -1821 |
| High School Grad. | 2 | 2 | 10 | -2523 |
| \<H.S. Grad. | 1 | 0 | 4 | -710 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Region*** |  |  |  |  |
| East | 4 | 7 | 18 | -1367 |
| Midwest | 4 | 6 | 16 | -1810 |
| South | 4 | 4 | 16 | -2830 |
| West | 5 | 9 | 23 | -1419 |

\* The designation Hispanic is unrelated to the white-black categorization.

**Reading this Table**  <strong>:</strong> This table shows the percentage of each demographic group that goes online for election news. For example, the first column shows that 4% of the general public went online for election news in 1996, 5% of men went online for election news, while 2% women went online for election news.

**Question: Do/Did you ever go online to get news or information about the 2000 elections?**

|  | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | (N) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | % | % | % |  |
| ***Total*** | 4 | 6 | 18 | -7426 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Family Income*** |  |  |  |
| $75,000+ | 7 | 12 | 34 | -1173 |
| $50,000-$74,999 | 6 | 13 | 27 | -1014 |
| $30,000-$49,999 | 5 | 7 | 20 | -1534 |
| $20,000-$29,999 | 2 | 6 | 12 | -888 |
| \<$20,000 | 2 | 2 | 8 | -1067 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Party ID*** |  |  |  |  |
| Republican | 4 | 10 | 23 | -2097 |
| Democrat | 4 | 4 | 16 | -2443 |
| Independent | 4 | 3 | 18 | -1969 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Party and Ideology*** |  |  |  |
| Conservative Republican | n/a | n/a | 26 | -1277 |
| Moderate/Liberal Republican | n/a | n/a | 20 | -726 |
| Conservative/Moderate Democrat | n/a | n/a | 14 | -1571 |
| Liberal Democrat | n/a | n/a | 25 | -703 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Marital Status*** |  |  |  |
| Married | 4 | 6 | 19 | -4133 |
| Not Married | 4 | 7 | 16 | -3208 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Parental Status*** |  |  |  |
| Parent | n/a | 6 | 21 | -2651 |
| Non-Parent | n/a | 6 | 16 | -4746 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| ***Employment Status*** |  |  |  |
| Full-time | n/a | n/a | 23 | -4038 |
| Part-time | n/a | n/a | 20 | -841 |
| Retired | n/a | n/a | 5 | -1455 |
| Not-employed | n/a | n/a | 15 | -786 |
| Disabled | n/a | n/a | 5 | -127 |
| Student (working and non-working) | n/a | n/a | 34 | -1040 |