Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Phocion
Regarding this mini-debate about whether 51% qualifies as "most", the methodology of poll taking always includes a minimum margin of error, in this case, plus or minus three percent. That translates to a possible RANGE of outcomes if this poll were repeated of from 48% to 54%. This encompasses "most", "exactly half" and "fewer than half" with any of those three outcomes having equal validity.

Declaring "most" is misleading and unacceptable and the proper way of reporting results such as these is to say "half".
133 posted on 08/31/2006 10:59:37 PM PDT by spinestein (Look! It's a ELEPHANT!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies ]


To: spinestein

Do you have any idea what the margin of error means?


355 posted on 09/01/2006 6:03:18 PM PDT by hail to the chief (Use your conservatism liberally)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 133 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson