Guide to posting polls -- Update

[ATFFL]

To make this forum as easy to use and informative as possible, please format the subject of all polls in the following fashion.

1- State first.  Please put the two letter abbreviation for the state first.

2- Pollster.  Next put who conducted the poll.  If it is an internal poll, mention it  by putting the letters (int) after the pollster.

3- State the poll results.  If it is a head to head poll, list the candidates and percentages.  If it has a series of results (both primary and general election, for example) mention the front runners.  Try and get the candidates, both of them, if possible.


UPDATE

4- INTERNALS:  Be sure to mention that they are internal numbers in the subject line.  Lots of candidates are realeasing internal numbers lately.  This also includes polls done for political parties or committees.   You should read back to the original source, if at all possible, as some second hand sources delete that information.  Don't be the source that tries to hide it is an internal poll. 

5- SOURCES:  Try and use the most original source you can for your links.  If where you find it links back to another source, go there and read that srouce.  If they link back further, read that.  Ideally, your source will be a media article or a polling memo from the pollster.  Or both!  No reason to limit yourself to the one.  It can be very interesting to see how the pollster and the media both spin the numbers.

6- POSTING LINKS:  For those who do not know, you can post cleaner links using the following method:

[*url=ADDRESS OF WEBPAGE]HEADLINE OF WEBPAGE[*/url]

Just remove the "*"s and you will have a nice, neat link.

[Sam Spade]

Thank you very much, ATFFL, for posting this.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Thanks.

I'd also like to stress the importance of accurate details and asking Dave to add a pollster if it's not listed instead of just using a random one from the list.

[Jake]

And just ban Olwankandi or whoever from posting polls.

[Adlai Stevenson]

Oooo I'm very excited it appears the forum has almost adopted my rule when posting polls.

[OC]

Don't ban me, I will get it correct, they don't list all the pollsters, so they should add some.

[Sam Spade]

Certain posters are still not posting that internal polls are internal when they're being posted.  This needs to be fixed.

[ATFFL]

I have upadted the top post.  Please read it.

[ATFFL]

Please post polls for Congressional Districts in the Congressional Elections forum and keep this one jsut for the Senate.  If there get to be so many CD polls, I will ask Dave for a seperate forum.

[The Vorlon]

Good set of rules

I would suggest a few minor additiions.

If the poll was sponsored by a particular organization, that is also helpful information. (ie if MoveOn.org or the NRA paid for the poll, that is good to know)

Also, if a poll is a tracking or a snapshot is helpful, and also the time the poll was in the field is also useful information.

[ATFFL]

Excellent idea.  Consider it a new rule.