Foundations of Quantitative Research in Political Science
Quick Recap: Margin of Error
Margin of error (MOE)
- Each time we draw a random sample from the population, we will get a slightly different sample due to chance. This means that each sample will be slightly different than the population and than each other.
- The MOE tells us the expected difference between the sample and population
Dig Deeper
Margin of error
- Galderisi, Peter. Understanding Political Science Statistics: Observations and Expectations in Political Analysis. Routledge, 2015. Chapter 6.
- Step-by-step guide on MOE and how to calculate it: https://www.statisticshowto.com/probability-and-statistics/hypothesis-testing/margin-of-error/Links to an external site.
- Step-by-step guide how to calculate MOE with proportions: https://www.dummies.com/education/math/statistics/how-to-calculate-the-margin-of-error-for-a-sample-proportion/Links to an external site.
- (Video) Quick intro to MOE for polls/surveys: What Is the Importance of Margin of Error in Statistics? : Statistics 101 Links to an external site.
- (Video) Intro to MOE, confidence levels, and how to calculate them: Margin of Error Links to an external site.