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“You may be tempted to avoid the polling deluge, but the results of these surveys do influence the campaign, including who will get invited to the first G.O.P. debate,” writes Dartmouth’s Brendan Nyhan in his New York Times blog post for The Upshot. “That’s why we want to show you how to read (or ignore) the polls like a pro.”

Nyhan, an assistant professor of government, offers the following advice on reading polls:

• Trust polling averages
• Be skeptical of outliers
• Track endorsements, not early polls
• Keep gaffes in perspective
• Heed the rhythm of polls

Read the full opinion piece, published 7/30/15 by The New York Times.