[CQ-Contest] ARRL contest coverage

[Wilson, Mark K1RO]

> How about posting a QST survey on the ARRL web site? If you want only 
> responses from members, put it in the Members Only section.  
> Jim, KZ1M.

Jim, the problem with a poll on the Web site is that you only hear from
those people who happened to be visiting that area of the Web site while the
poll is active and care enough (one way or the other) about the topic to
take the time to answer. Answers from that select group do not truly
represent the opinions of a cross-section of the membership and cannot be
relied upon for decision-making. 

The QST surveys are sent to a random sample of ARRL members. The samples are
chosen under the guidance of an independent research firm, using
industry-standard techniques, to ensure that we reach a representative
cross-section of the entire ARRL membership. Followup efforts are made until
the response rate is high enough to ensure that the results are accurate. 

A number of companies that specialize in survey research publish information
about sample size and accuracy on their Web sites. You can find a lot of
information on survey research on the Web. A good place to start is
www.google.com ; search for 

survey sample size

and that will lead you to a number of good resources.

73, Mark K1RO


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