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25 November 2009
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Guidance

Opinion Polls, Surveys, Questionnaires, Votes and 'Straw Polls'

• Introduction
• Commissioning Opinion Polls
• Polling Methods
• Reporting Opinion Polls
• Polls at Election Times
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Surveys by other organisations
• Focus Groups and Panels
• Phone-ins, text votes and other forms of straw poll
• Studio Audiences
• Vox Pops
• Online Voting

Introduction

BBC journalists and programme-makers routinely invest much time, effort and professional pride in ensuring the accuracy, clarity and credibility of their output.  Especially when information is being summarised, the audience must be able to trust that the journalism behind what they see and hear is robust, that research is reliable and meaningful – and that the language used is both consistent and truthful.

This accuracy, clarity and credibility is as important when we report on “polls” and “surveys” as it is in the rest of our journalism.  When we commission such work ourselves and invest the BBC’s authority, it is even more vital that the audience is able to trust what we are saying.

Similarly, when we invite the audience to interact with our services through voting by phone or online, especially on serious or controversial issues, it is important that we deal responsibly with their views and do not allow such votes a greater significance than they merit.

Opinion polls, surveys, questionnaires, phone and online votes are useful and fruitful ways of listening to our audiences – but we must be rigorous in applying due scepticism and in using precise language to ensure the integrity of the BBC’s journalism is not damaged.

This guidance – which supplements and should be read in conjunction with Section 10 of the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines ( www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines ) – aims to:

• help programme-makers and journalists using polls and surveys to do so appropriately and within the Editorial Guidelines
• clarify terminology and methodology
• promote greater consistency across the BBC in the use of polls, surveys and other attempts to gauge or illustrate opinion
• set out the uses and, importantly, the limits of voting and questionnaires online and of “straw polls”.
• encourage programme-makers to think creatively about how they can include public opinion in their output without compromising journalistic standards.

This Editorial Policy Guidance was first produced on 13 February 2008.

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