ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Total survey error

Total survey error is the mistake that can happen when we try to ask people questions to learn about them or their opinions. It's like when we play a guessing game and we want to know how many candies are in the jar. We have to guess based on what we see, but we might not be exactly correct.

The total survey error has four main parts:

1. Sampling error: This is the error that can happen if we don't ask the right people or if we ask too few people. For example, if we only ask children about their favorite food, we might not get a full representation of what people like.

2. Measurement error: This is the error that can happen when we ask questions. Sometimes people might not hear the question, or they might not understand what we mean, so they answer differently than what they mean.

3. Coverage error: This is the error that can happen if we don't include all the people we should be asking. For example, if we only ask people in one city instead of the whole country, we might not get an accurate picture of what people think.

4. Non-response error: This is the error that can happen if people don't want to answer our questions. Sometimes people might be too busy to talk, or they might not trust us, so they don't give us the right answers.

Overall, total survey error means that even when we do our best to ask questions and get answers, we might not always get everything right. It's important to remember this when we see survey results and to take them with a grain of salt.