{"id":95561,"date":"2010-08-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-08-12T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2010\/08\/12\/problems-associated-with-surveying-small-demographic-groups\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:17:41","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:17:41","slug":"problems-associated-with-surveying-small-demographic-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2010\/08\/12\/problems-associated-with-surveying-small-demographic-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Problems associated with surveying small demographic groups"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the course of discussing our recent update on home broadband adoption<\/a>, I was asked on Twitter why Pew Internet doesn\u2019t provide data for Asian \/ Pacific Islanders as part of our standard demographic splits. Several years ago we asked our lead pollster, Evans Witt (principal and CEO of Princeton Survey Research Associates International) to provide a survey methodologist\u2019s take on this question. His response hopefully sheds some light on the challenges associated with polling the Asian population in the U.S.:<\/p>\n\n

[ed. note: we have included a Spanish-language option on several recent studies, and will do so as a standard deliverable on all future research<\/i>]<\/p>\n

Typically, an RDD survey will obtain interviews with between 1.3 percent and 2.3 percent of respondents who describe themselves as Asian. For a survey of 2,000 completes, that translates into 26 to 46 interviews. That is far too few to analyze with any statistical accuracy.<\/p><\/div>\n\n

So where should folks go for this information if not us? One great place to start is the NTIA, who recently sponsored a special internet use supplement to the Census Bureau\u2019s Current Population Survey. With a total sample size of around 54,000 households, their data set offers the ability to conduct statistically valid measurements of not just Asian-Americans but other relatively small groups such as Native Americans. Their most recent findings are available at http:\/\/www.ntia.doc.gov\/reports\/2010\/NTIA_internet_use_report_Feb2010.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Another potential resource is a recent survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. While not national in scope, it does provide racial\/ethnic comparisons for Asians. The PPIC survey can be found at http:\/\/www.ppic.org\/content\/pubs\/jtf\/JTF_DigitalDivideJTF.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

For researchers with a specific interest in young adults, Eszter Hargittai’s surveys of incoming University of Illinois-Chicago students offer another valuable resource. Conducted in 2007, 2009 and 2010, these surveys also offer\u00a0a large enough Asian-American respondent pool to enable robust analysis within this group. For more information, see\u00a0http:\/\/webuse.org\/pubs\/<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why doesn’t Pew Internet report findings for Asians, Pacific Islanders or other groups as part of its standard demographic 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