Pew Research Center

FOR RELEASE MAY 20, 2010

Assessing The Cell Phone Challenge

A joint study by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Internet & American Life Project takes an up-to-date look at the potential biases in findings based on landline-only surveys.

BY Leah Christian, Scott Keeter, Kristen Purcell and Aaron Smith

FOR MEDIA OR OTHER INQUIRIES:

Communications Department
202.419.4372
www.pewresearch.org

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Pew Research Center, May 2010, "Assessing The Cell Phone Challenge"

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Table of contents

  • About Pew Research Center

Assessing The Cell Phone Challenge

A joint study by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Internet & American Life Project takes an up-to-date look at the potential biases in findings based on landline-only surveys.

With fully a quarter of the U.S. adult population now relying solely on cell phone service, pollsters and other survey researchers face a difficult decision as to whether to include cell phones in their samples.  A joint study by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Internet & American Life Project takes an up-to-date look at the potential biases in findings based on landline-only surveys. Read the full report at PewResearch.org »