The sample of the ANES 2008 Time Series Study consisted of a new cross-section of respondents that yielded 2,323 face-to-face interviews in the pre-election study; 2,102 of which later provided a face-to-face interview in the post-election study.

STUDY CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
In addition to content on electoral participation, voting behavior, and public opinion, the 2008 ANES Time Series Study contains questions in other areas such as media exposure, cognitive style, and values and predispositions. Special-interest and topical content provided significant coverage of foreign policy, including the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq. In addition, the study carried expanded instrumentation on organizational membership, unemployment, the federal budget, modern sexism, and race and gender politics. The Post-Election interview also included Module 3 from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES).

STUDY DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS:
Among many notable design features was the inclusion of an African-American and Latino oversample or respondents. The use of half-sampling was used throughout study. In all cases where CORE questions are changed, half of the sample received the original version and half received the new version. To minimize the impact of these changes on analysts, all such changes are implemented though a single "splice." For the first time, a sub-section of questions were self-administered, meaning that the interviewer gave the respondent their laptop so the respondent could read and/or hear (on headphones) the questions and answer choices. The respondent then typed a response into the laptop without communicating that response to the interviewer. This was done to reduce social desirability pressures. We also included an implementation of the Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP). The AMP is a means for measuring implicit attitudes. Here, we used the method to measure implicit attitudes toward Blacks.

Pre-election interviews averaging 73 minutes in length were conducted September 2 through November 3, 2008. No interviewing was conducted on Election Day, November 4. Post-election interviews averaging 91 minutes were administered November 5 through December 30, 2008. Randomization, employed for selection of half-samples to reduce overall interview length, and for question order within batteries, was implemented by the Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI) instrumentation.

RESPONSE RATES:
59.5% is what AAPOR calls Response Rate 1 (RR1) for the survey, which is the minimum response rate. It is referred to as the "minimum" because it assumes that in all households at which the eligibility of residents was not determined, at least one eligible adult lived there.

AAPOR Response Rate 3 (RR3) assumes that in households at which eligibility was not determined, the proportion of households containing an eligible adult was the same as that proportion among households at which eligibility was determined. That response rate is 63.7%.

The maximum response rate, AAPOR's RR5, is 78.2% and is computed by assuming that no eligible adult lived in any of the households in which eligibility was not determined.

For the post-election survey, the minimum rate (AAPOR RR1) is 53.9 percent; the estimated rate (AAPOR RR3) is 57.7 percent; the maximum rate (AAPOR RR5) is 70.8 percent. The re-interview rate is 90.5.

Dispositions and outcome rates will be fully described in the next edition of the study documentation.

WEIGHTS SUMMARY:
There are two sets of sample weights. The first set of weights is centered at a mean of 1.0; these are variable V080101 (pre-election) and V080102 (Post-election). The second set of weights represent population V080101a (pre-election) and V080102 (Post-election). The pre-election sample weights are the product of the household non-response adjustment factor by age and education. The post-election sample weights are adjusted for attrition.

If you identify any errors or inconsistencies, if you have questions, or if we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us by email to: anes@electionstudies.org