Queries on CSDS Poll reaches Mailer Daemon

Update: The email id is election@csds.in . Thanks to @ssudhirkumar for the correction. Removing Mailer Daemon part of the piece accordingly.

CSDS has done a poll and called it “State of the Nation” Poll. It did the survey in collaboration with CNN IBN. Editors of CNN IBN, CSDS say that survey was scientific in nature. However, in methodology section of the survey little scientific details has been mentioned. I thought I should write to CSDS to know more, especially since IBN and CSDS continue to tell us via The Hindu and IBN that we can write to them in case of an queries. The email ID they provided was elections@csds.in

So I wrote:

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M/S CSDS,

It is really interesting to note that CSDS grew in prominence via surveys it has been conducting since UPA’s first term.
These surveys when done scientifically would prove as a great help to administration and politicians.
In reference to the recent State of the Nation poll that was conducted by your organization in collaboration with CNN IBN, I have several questions.
However, I would like to know about the following three fundamental points:

1. How did CSDS arrive at a distribution curve for sampling 39,000 odd people chosen for the survey? Since your organization and CNN IBN continue to claim that this survey was scientific in nature, please do let me know the process adopted to identify sampling mechanism across the nation.
2. In methodology section, your organization claims that the candidates for interviews were chosen randomly. The word randomly poses more question than it answers. Random is not a very fair method in my humble opinion as your sample set is quite low and on the top of it, only half of the candidates really finished the survey. Given such small sample set, how does CSDS justify random sampling. I would like to know the mathematical procedure adopted by CSDS in this process.
3. CSDS also doesnt mention how many candidates were chosen in each of the constituencies. When some concerned citizens questioned editor of CNN IBN on how choice of 3/4 of candidates form rural areas is justified though we have only 2/3 of Lok Sabha seats from rural areas, there was no clear answer (Ref: http://twitter.com/#!/sardesairajdeep/status/100542638612164608). Please tell us how many people were chosen from each of the constituencies chosen. In fact, ward wise division of this number makes more sense. However, since your organization and CNN IBN claims that the survey is scientific, any information would prove to improve public confidence on thus survey.

Please do make all information on scientific methodology adopted by CSDS in this survey public. Since this is a poll in the interest of the nation, I do hope CSDS has no problems of NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) with CNN IBN. If there are any NDA issues, I am quite sure CNN IBN would be glad to help as CNN IBN Editors, reporters and anchors continue to claim that they put Indian National Interest at the highest priority.

Regards
K V Sarma Jonnavithula

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