Survey Methodologies

The 2002 General Social Survey is an in-person, multistage, area probability sample of adults living in households in the United States conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), University of Chicago. The 2002 GSS had a sample size of 2,765 and a response rate of 70.1 percent (response rate #3 of the American Association for Public Opinion Research [AAPOR]). The field dates were from early February to June. GSS results were weighted by the number of adults in the household to give all adults an equal probability of selection. (For more details see Davis, Smith, and Marsden, 2003.)

The Knowledge Networks survey (KNS) was conducted on their web-enabled panel. KN respondents are contacted via RDD surveys (originally conducted by NORC, and currently by KN itself) and recruited into a panel. Recruits are either provided with WebTV and access to the internet via WebTV or use their own personal computers to participate. In exchange for this and other incentives, the panelists agree to answer surveys sent to them periodically by email. KNS had a total sample size of 1,655 and a response rate of about 13 percent, taking into consideration each stage of response (also AAPOR resonse rate #3). Data collection took place April-June, 2002. KNS results have been weighted to reflect U.S. Census demographics and panel attrition.