We should all be deeply ashamed by this

Callistemon, having expressed deep suspicions about this sample, I am now going to say that you can have a sample of 4103 that is representative of the total population.

The ability to do this depends on how your sampling frame is set up. Somewhere I still have the set of statistical tables that shows me the probability that a random sample of a given size taken from a large population will be a cross section of said population. It is disconcerting how small a sample can be, to give you a 95% certainity that your sample is representative of the whole population.

However the secret is exactly who makes up the population you are drawing your sample from and, as I have said, the phrase politically representative people is a very imprecise term and could hide a multitude of biasses and exclusions.

How do you think drug trials are carried out?

Yes, I know that "It’s academic research carried out by a team headed by two reputable academics based at Cardiff and Edinburgh. It’s the latest findings from a project called the Future of England which has been going for several years." but googling those details has not found me anything from that organisation about people saying that violence against MPs is Ok if it brings about Brexit.

As you have found it, it would be helpful if you told the rest of us. I would have posted a link if I had found it.

I know, suziewoozie, as I don't live in a bubble!

However, I would question just how representative this cross-section of the voting public this actually is.

Questionnaire is available online MOnica. All research has flaws,every single piece but it doesn’t make it rubbish. I think the points you make are of a different order to some of the others being made on here such as sample size.

I know Leave voters, none of them would condone violence ever.

Why do people think this is just about Leave voters?

It's Remain voters as well.

Could you please post a link then, suziewoozie so that we can all read through them?

Conspiracy? I was posting about a survey, not a conspiracy.

Call all research uses a sample of the population - whether it’s for drug development or attitudes.

Me neither, MissA

suziewoozie so you believe that 4,103 represent all the voting public?

We are all fascists because we question the views of a tiny minority?
What a daft post

I am deeply suspicious of phrases like ^politically representative people^exactly does it mean.

I have a professional background in surveys and sampling and recognise all the wheasle words and all the biases hidden in so many samples. I would also like to see the questionnaire. Frequently how you word your questions and your order of questioning can lead people to give you the answers you want them to give.

Oh dear Elegran didn’t have you down as a conspiracy theorist. I’ve just read through all the individual questions asked and seen the data across the various subgroups in the survey.

Why exactly have the Guardian published this? Sorry I am suspicious that this is the media doing what they do best - s* stirring. I know Leave voters, none of them would condone violence ever.

It’s very easy via google to find out the details of this research. It’s academic research carried out by a team headed by two reputable academics based at Cardiff and Edinburgh. It’s the latest findings from a project called the Future of England which has been going for several years. I find some responses on here utterly risible - the Guardian shouldn’t publish the results of a survey because you don’t like the results? Have you any idea how fascist that sounds? Perhaps we should burn copies of the research and imprison the academics who carried it out?

I can't find the original report of this survey online. All I can find are media articles about it, which quote statistics from it, but don't have links that will take you to the actual words.

It seems that the study itself is not public. It is surprising that it is not available - maybe it may appear in public in the next few days.

Are we to conclude that the majority of voters have been thoroughly brainwashed be the leave liars and their supporters in the media?

It's Remain voters as well.

Personally I think it's dross from The Guardian.

Why is wrong of the Guardian to report on a survey done by a good university & overseen by respected academics using established methodology? Should the media stop reporting the toxic atmosphere MPs work in? Should they have hushed up the murder of Jo Cox?
I really don't understand that rationale. It doesn't let anyone, leavers or remainers off the hook. I feel shame because this country doesn't seem like the one I grew up in.

Well, perhaps those who took the survey can feel ashamed.
I'm absolutely certain they don't speak for me or anyone I know.

I certainly don’t feel ashamed as it is not my view.
Violence is never the answer to anything.

I don’t feel in the least ashamed, thank you very much.
Dodgy and very wrong of The Guardian IMHO.

All this so-called survey seems to show is that far too many people read the poisonous pro-brexit right wing tabloids and let them tell them what to think and say.

Wake up folk. You really are not stupid sheep so start thinking for yourselves.

Violence towards our elected representatives is totally inexcusable, even if some of them have been brainwashed by tax dodging billionaires.

They asked over 4000 politically representative people. Not random and a reasonably large number of people. What sad times we line in.

The article gives no guide to who the respondents were. Was it a carefully calculated cross section of the population of the country, matching that in age, ethnicity, sociodemographic group, geographical distribution etc, or was the sample drawn just from students at the university or people in the street? I am very suspicious of any survey that does not include details of the sampling frame.

I find it particularly odd that The Guardian, of all papers, should conceal this information.

Are we to conclude that the majority of voters have been thoroughly brainwashed be the leave liars and their supporters in the media?

If so this is absolutely shocking. Our once democratic country has been corrupted for the last four years by media influencers who do not have our best interests at heart.

They asked 4,103 people out of - how many million?

It's a joke and rather a nasty one.

Thank you Elegran
We shall await your findings.