Lies, damned lies, and South Korean opinion polls
Opinion polls are big in Korea... To twist the well known adage, there are lies, damned lies, and South Korean opinion polls.
Opinion polls are big in Korea. You can find one to support your views, no matter what they are. Now, this is concerning in itself, and from what I’ve seen, it pays to be pretty skeptical about polls when it comes to gauging public sentiment. Flawed methodology, the failure to take into consideration cultural traits and social desirability bias, compromised data collection practices, as well as institutional bias, should make a researcher think twice about relying on polls. To twist the well known adage, there are lies, damned lies, and South Korean opinion polls.
Before exploring the question of opinion polls, it’s important to recognize that there’s a strong cultural preference for quantitative research in South Korea.
The nation’s focus on measurable outcomes, rapid economic development, a strong American (as opposed to European) influence in academia, and the pressure to publish, means quantitative research dominates. Government-funded projects and academic fields like STEM, public …