How do we ask about race and ethnicity in GWI USA?
In GWI USA we have separate questions for race and ethnicity. This allows respondents to select their racial identity independently from their ethnic identity.
First, we ask respondents about their race, asking them to indicate which of the following options best describe them:
- American Indian / Alaska Native
- Asian American
- Black / African American
- Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander
- White / Caucasian
- Other
- Prefer not to say
Respondents are able to select multiple options - those that do are categorised as belonging to each group they select, as well as a separate Mixed Race option. This means that the total sum of all of the racial groups combined exceeds 100%.
We then ask respondents if they identify as Hispanic or Latino. This reflects how Hispanic identity is approached in the US census, which defines Hispanic as an ethnicity, not a race. This means that each respondent who identifies as Hispanic will also have selected one or more of the racial groups in the prior question.
How do we present the data in our platform?
We present this data in four ways:
- Racial Identity – this includes data from the racial identity question only, which is comprised of the options listed above plus Mixed Race (respondents who selected multiple racial identities)
- Hispanic identity – this includes data from the Hispanic identity question only
- Mixed Race Identity, – this includes data from the race question only, but outlines the combination of races selected by respondents who identify as belonging to more than one racial group
- Ethnicity and Racial Identity – this includes data from both the racial identity and Hispanic identity questions side by side
How do we ensure our sample is representative?
We set quotas on race and ethnicity when recruiting respondents for GWI USA, ensuring a diverse and accurate sample. We also set quotas on age, gender, income and region.