I AM NOT AN OWL, I AM A HERMIONE

prettayprettaygood:

totallymassiveclock:

Please provide a source to the actual study.  You can generate a graph like this and manipulate the sample to such a degree that it appears the way you want it.

Fortunately I found the actual methodology for the study.  This is the questionnaire they used http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/January-Follow-up-Topline.pdf  And http://publicreligion.org/research/2012/02/january-tracking-poll-2012/ is their analysis of the results.  I could not find this exact graph but I found on similar with only slight differences.

So there you go.  It is bad practice to just throw up a graph and say oh look so accurate, without letting your readers critically analyze your sources.

The source is at the bottom of the graph, where it says “Sources: Public Religion Research Institute Survey.”

The graph itself was made by Kristen Long from Politico. That’s why it says “Kristen Long - Politico” at the bottom of the graph.

Pretty sure that qualifies as providing a source to the actual study.

And I’m pretty sure I’m letting my readers critically analyze my sources because that’s what you just did.

I agree that it does tell me who did the correlation but not where to find the study.

On the internet (and in academia) it is courtesy to provide specific links, because often times even with the name of the researcher (since they generally perform more than one study with the same company) it is difficult to find specific studies.  I was rather lucky in this instance because I already read the study before I read your post. My criticism was not aimed at you in particular.  It was aimed at the tendency for users to exclude sources for graphics or studies.  

Regardless, I do not care one way or the other.  I just wished to share the specific links to the study and I did.  Thank you for assisting me. 

If you would like to discuss this further please send me put something in my ask.  That way I am sure to get it.