Evaluate a civic survey’s reach
Separate a sample’s preferences from a whole-community claim.
Supplied materials
- Fictional community centre survey: 40 people attending a Tuesday afternoon art club answered whether the centre should add weekend art sessions. Thirty said yes. No other visitors were surveyed.
- The centre also serves evening workers and sports groups. This exercise does not require contacting anyone.
Learn the idea
Public decisions often use surveys, but the method affects whose views are represented. A convenience sample includes people easy to reach, who may share schedules or interests.
A count can be accurate for respondents and still fail to represent the whole community. Improving a consultation means inviting relevant missing groups and offering accessible ways to respond, not inventing their opinions.
- Calculate the share of respondents who said yes.
- Describe exactly who was sampled.
- List two relevant groups not represented by this method.
- Write a next consultation step before making a whole-centre preference claim.
See the method in action
30/40 = 75% of surveyed Tuesday art-club attendees said yes. That supports interest within the responding group. It does not establish 75% support among everyone who uses the centre.
Check your reasoning
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See the answer and explanation
Thirty of the 40 surveyed art-club attendees support it; broader preferences remain unknown.
The result is about the actual respondents. The survey did not measure town-wide support or the opinions of the omitted groups, so those claims would invent evidence.
Take it further
Design a second invitation reaching evening and weekend visitors, with a plain-language question and a non-digital option. Explain which coverage gap each choice addresses.
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Longer courses for learners ages 14+
These related courses have their own preparation and projects. They are not early-grade assignments.
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