ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the basic ingredients that go into all good polls. There are plenty of excellent such books on the market. The chapter discusses phone polls and exit polls because, despite some shortcomings that they may have, these polls provide the best examples of polling excellence. Phone polls and exit polls have proved more accurate and reliable than other polling methods because they normally incorporate the best polling practices. The chapter focuses on the ingredients of good polls. In applying the ingredients of good polls, they can readily see why telephone polls have become so popular with professional pollsters. The plain truth is that at present telephone polling encapsulates the best formula for sound polling standards, with the possible exception of exit polling used only on election days.
