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While the statisticians are trying to knock a few tenths off the statistical error, says Mr. Payne, errors of tens of percents occur because of bad question wording. Mr. Payne's shrewd critique of the problems of asking questions reveals much about the nature of language and words, and a good deal about the public who must answer the poller's questions. For public opinion pollers, census takers, advertising copywriters, and survey makers of all kinds this book will be a tool for the achievement of more reliable results.

Originally published in 1951.

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Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Title Page, Copyright, Dedication
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  1. Foreword (1980)
  2. pp. vii-viii
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  1. Foreword
  2. pp. ix-xii
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  1. Preface
  2. pp. xiii-xiv
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. xv-xvi
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  1. 1. Why concern yourself?
  2. pp. 3-15
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  1. 2. May we presume?
  2. pp. 16-31
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  1. 3. Who left it open?
  2. pp. 32-54
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  1. 4. Boy or girl?
  2. pp. 55-74
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  1. 5. Win, place, or show?
  2. pp. 75-99
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  1. 6. How else?
  2. pp. 100-113
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  1. 7. Still beat your wife?
  2. pp. 114-128
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  1. 8. Can you make it brief?
  2. pp. 129-137
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  1. 9. What's the good word?
  2. pp. 138-157
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  1. 10. What's wrong with "you"?
  2. pp. 158-176
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  1. 11. Isn't that loaded?
  2. pp. 177-202
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  1. 12. How does it read?
  2. pp. 203-213
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  1. 13. Is it possible?
  2. pp. 214-227
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  1. 14. How's that again?
  2. pp. 228-238
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  1. References
  2. pp. 239-242
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  1. General Index
  2. pp. 243-246
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  1. Index of Examples
  2. pp. 247-249
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