conducting a poll

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "conducting a poll" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the process of gathering opinions or information from a group of people, typically through a survey or questionnaire. Example: "The organization is conducting a poll to gauge public opinion on the new policy changes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

Someone conducting a poll "canvasses".

The New York Times

This is a huge concern if, for instance, you're conducting a poll in June of an election year.

The New York Times

At Barclays, conducting a poll of equity analysts for changes in sentiment was first proposed in 2003 in Australia, where financial regulation is more relaxed.

The New York Times

Mr. Stone told New York 1 last night that the campaign was conducting a poll to see how voters might react to the options.

The New York Times

Mr. Rogers also said in an interview today that Ms. Byrum's backers were conducting push-polling, a technique denounced by professional pollsters in which a caller claims to be conducting a poll but asks loaded questions.

The New York Times

Soon after conducting a poll that he said showed him with vast support among Hispanics — yet far behind the leading contenders among all voters — Mr. Gutierrez said he would not run for mayor and would remain in Congress to try to achieve elusive changes in federal immigration laws.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

About a decade ago two Russian artists, Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid, conducted a poll to find out what would make the most popular painting.

The New York Times

Gallup has conducted a poll on the death penalty since 1936.

The New Yorker

Mathematics- Create and conduct a poll regarding safety since September 11.

The New York Times

The poll was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, which also conducted a poll for Newsweek.

The New York Times

How do you conduct a poll? A. I don't believe in doing just polls.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about "conducting a poll", ensure you clearly state the purpose and methodology of the poll to maintain credibility.

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by specifying who participated in the poll and how they were selected. Lack of clarity can undermine the poll's validity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "conducting a poll" functions as a verb phrase, where "conducting" is the present participle of the verb "conduct", and "poll" is a noun. It describes the action of organizing and carrying out a survey to gather information or opinions, as shown in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Wiki

12%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "conducting a poll" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase that describes the action of carrying out a survey to gather information or opinions. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is correct and frequently appears in news and media outlets, as well as in wiki and scientific articles. Alternative ways to express this action include "carrying out a survey" or "administering a questionnaire". When using "conducting a poll", it is best practice to clearly state the purpose and methodology of the poll and specify the target audience to ensure credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

carrying out a survey

Focuses on the act of performing the survey itself.

performing an opinion survey

Highlights that the survey is about opinions.

administering a questionnaire

Emphasizes the use of a structured questionnaire.

undertaking a public vote

Implies a formal voting process involving the public.

organizing a straw poll

Suggests an informal, non-binding poll.

running a census

Implies a more comprehensive and official data gathering.

launching a survey campaign

Emphasizes the promotional aspect of the survey.

fielding a survey

Focuses on the active distribution and collection of the survey.

gathering public sentiment

Highlights the goal of understanding public feelings.

assessing voter preferences

Focuses specifically on understanding voter choices.

FAQs

What does "conducting a poll" mean?

It refers to the process of systematically gathering opinions or information from a sample of people, often to infer the views of a larger population.

What is a good alternative for "conducting a poll"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "carrying out a survey", "performing an opinion survey", or "administering a questionnaire".

How can I use "conducting a poll" in a sentence?

Here's an example: "The research team is currently conducting a poll to assess public attitudes towards climate change."

Is "conducting a poll" formal or informal language?

It is generally considered neutral and suitable for both formal and informal contexts, though more formal reports might benefit from a synonym like "undertaking a survey".