Polling Methodologies
All LucidTalk (LT) polling projects are carried out online, but LucidTalk still have the capability to carry out poll and market research projects using one of, or a combination of, three research channels:
Polling Methodologies
Online
The LT NI Opinion Panel
LucidTalk now has over 16,000 registered members on the LT NI representative online panel each recorded with 21 demographics inc. Gender, Age, past-vote at NI elections, Occupation, Income, etc.. Each LucidTalk poll-project usually receives between 3,000 to 4,000 responses per individual research project.
From this, a robust NI representative sample of 1,050 is constructed, which is mathematically representative of NI opinion at that point in time, to within an error of only +/-3%. As can be seen from previous sections, LT’s polls (using this online research approach) predicted the NI EU Referendum result (2016), the 2017 and 2022 NI Assembly election results, and the 2019 and 2024 UK Westminster election results, all to within an error of only 1%. All LucidTalk quarterly NI ‘Tracker’ poll-projects run in association with the Belfast Telegraph use this same methodology, and therefore can be considered as producing results to the same degree of accuracy in terms of being reflective of current NI opinion.
However, with a small No. of projects it is sometimes beneficial to complement the main online methodology with:
Direct Telephone Contact
Some people may prefer the use of direct telephone contact in order that their views can be collated. In order to produce a robust representative opinion sample for projects it is necessary to ensure that key groups have their ‘proper representation’ in what is designed to be a representative opinion sample of the targeted sector e.g. Northern Ireland.
If required for a specific project, LT can initiate a dedicated call-centre, and all telephone polling is carried out according to UK Market Research standards and all calls made are to respondents who are opted-in to the ‘Telephone Preference Service’ (TPS). In all projects LT use the telephone channel to balance the data obtained from the main LT methodology i.e. No. 1. Online polling (see above).
Confidential Direct Mail/Direct Door-to-Door Contact
Direct Mail polling would be carried out by the polling participant/panel member completing a Questionnaire and returning it to an ‘Independent Adjudicator’ via reply-paid mail. This methodology is used by clients who wish to target e.g. a small specific demographic area, which cannot be targeted to the desired preciseness via online polling.
In addition, some polling participants may wish to be contacted directly on their door-step when a polling project is being carried out. Demographically these tend to be people who are more elderly, retired, and/or people from social groups D&E (lower working class, on benefits etc.) who are sometimes not comfortable with telephone polling, the ‘work’ of direct mailing their views, or using the Internet.
Although all LucidTalk poll research is now carried out online, – dependent on the project, LucidTalk can use one, or a mixture of all the above communication channels.
This ensures that any proposed polling project produces the highest possible accuracy in the results, suited to the client requirements, and that the poll-project will fairly represent public opinion in the targeted sector, be that Northern Ireland, or an area sector e.g. Belfast, or an age-group, or socio-economic group sector.
NB LucidTalk guarantee confidentiality and non-traceability across all polling and research channels used inc. online – and this is independently verified and authenticated.