Breadth and Depth
Examining the Limitations of Large-N Survey Research in the Study of Marginalized Populations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12379414 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jenn M Jackson (0000-0002-0049-515X, Syracuse University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 152-157 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PS Political Science & Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1049-0965 • E-ISSN: 1537-5935 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s104909652510125x |
| OpenAlex | W4413331557 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 25 |
Surveys continue to be the most common research tool in American politics. Yet, there are normative, ontological, and conceptual concerns that render these techniques incomplete, especially when deployed in the study of marginalized people. This article argues that survey research is limited mainly in the study of race, gender, sexuality, and class because it fails to capture the intricacies of political life. Furthermore, the general exclusion of marginalized voices in survey research represents a major concern for the veracity of our findings. In response, I suggest three recommendations to help political scientists extend survey methods and tell more comprehensive stories about the political experiences and attitudes of marginalized people. I contend that political science departments must make qualitative methods required training for graduate students; political scientists must engage in feminist methodologies in building their research agendas; and researchers studying marginalized people must engage in multimethodological research approaches that provide context and detail about the lived experiences of vulnerable people
Political science · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Survey research · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
Mobilizing public opinion
The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion
The Branding of Right-Wing Activism
Mixed research methods in political science and governance
Black Ethnics
Mobilized by Injustice
Sisters in the Statehouse
Black Feminist Voices in Politics
Identity Crisis
The Politics of Resentment
Capturing Ethnic Diversity Among Black Respondents
Contributions of Survey Research to Political Science
Introduction to the Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) Oversamples
Who Participates in Focus Groups? Diagnosing Self-Selection
Looking Beyond Demographics
From the Margins to the Center
Black Women in Politics
Measuring Public Opinion with Surveys
Can Non-full-probability Internet Surveys Yield Useful Data? A Comparison with Full-probability Face-to-face Surveys in the Domain of Race and Social Inequality Attitudes
Graduate Qualitative Methods Training in Political Science
The Unique Utility of Focus Groups for Mixed-Methods Research
Do We Preach What We Practice? A Survey of Methods in Political Science Journals and Curricula
Institutionalizing the Margins
Locked in Uneasy Sisterhood
Are we keeping the people who used to stay? Changes in correlates of panel survey attrition over time
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |