What the Numbers Mean

You might have noticed that I've started posting a Data Dump Index for each of the surveys I report to you on this blog. Well, here's an explanation. The DDI is based on a rating of 10 variables, each carrying a score between 1 and 10. Thus, a perfect survey, whose results should be trusted and accepted as a factual representation of the populus, would carry a DDI of 100. My hope is to aggregate enough comparative data on similar subject to be able to compare DDIs across industries.

The variables are as follows:

1. PR Factor -- Does the survey have a lot of promotional push behind it (10 is a high score)
2. Public Perception: How likely are you and I to remember or be affected by the data (10 is high)
3. Interview Bias: Are the numbers tainted due to surveying the wrong or disproportioned audience (1 is a high score)
4. Chronology of Interviews: Was the survey conducted at a time or place where the respondents would have been unduly influenced by the subject or questions (1 is a high score)
5. Method of Interviews: Was the survey methodology appropriate for the desired objective (10 is high)
6. Media Interpretation: Have stories been reported that objectively and accurately reflect the survey's intentions (10 is high)
7. Media Presentation: Do the media create hype around the numbers by interviewing additional experts or presenting graphics that showcase the results (10 is high)
8. Sample Frame: Has a representative sample been interviewed (10 is high)
9. Data Weighting: Have the data been accurately weighted to account for those underrepresented in the sample (10 is high)
10. Sponsorship: Is the study sponsored by a corporation or organization to promote a product, service, event, or other ulterior motive (1 is high)