Twelve states are considering a full or partial ban on trans fats, according to The Daily Number – a research statistic of the day published by The Pew Research Center. Other daily statistics have reported on the percentage of Internet users who blog, and the top-rated U.S. presidents of all time.
The Pew Research Center is a non-partisan “fact tank” that provides news coverage as well as proprietary research based on public opinion polls and social science research. Topics range from how Americans view the war in Iraq to how we use the Internet to pay bills.
Pew – a family of seven research projects, including the Pew Internet & American Life Project – recently launched a “new and improved” version of its web site.
The new version of the site prominently displays the organization’s research, findings and features – for example, the recent launch of the weekly News Interest vs. News Coverage Index, which compares the public’s interest in news stories to coverage of those stories in the media.
Vidya Krishnamurthy, Communications Manager for the Pew Research Center, says that the organization undertook the redesign to roll out new features and better organize its content.
Its “Databank” section includes The Daily Number, data representing key trends (e.g., political approval ratings to Internet broadband usage), and access to complete datasets.
One new feature – “Where Do You Fit?” – is an interactive poll that helps visitors determine where they stand on current issues. Pew plans to change the topic of the poll on a monthly basis, according to Krishnamurthy.
The Pew Internet & American Life Project focuses on Internet trends, usage patterns and demographics. The Pew Research Center’s six other research centers include: