Polling and Public Opinion

Public opinion polling began in the 1930s and 1940s with the work of a handful of innovative researchers. Read about some of the most influential polling pioneers.

Core concepts of the field of Polling.

A list of Organizations that have a relationship with Roper Center of Public Research

WAPOR was established in 1947. Exactly halfway in this long history, in 1984, it conducted its first worldwide study on the freedom to publish polls. Over the past 25 years, this study has become a regular exercise once every 5 years.

From politics and policy to business decisions and market research, polls have become an essential part of our everyday lives. But understanding how to read a poll can be tricky, especially when it comes to the analysis of survey results. This annotated survey question addresses some of the basics of polling and provides a few tips and tricks to help you make sense of the data you're presented with.

Some polls in iPoll are “probability-based online panels.” What does that mean? First, let’s look at what pollsters mean when they talk about survey data collection mode and survey sampling procedures.

“Polling” can be a loaded term. Since the early days of polling, the field has had to defend its reputation against the damage done by individuals and organizations who manipulate or even fabricate poll findings to bring the force of public opinion to their agenda. Some polling organizations release partial results, or only release numbers favorable to their client. Some conduct polls with biased question wordings.

Polling is a useful tool for understanding the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the general public. But polling also has limitations that are important to keep in mind when analyzing polling data. The most important concerns sampling – who is and is not contacted by pollsters – and because sampling is complex and can affect different polls in different ways, it is worth considering at length. However, the accuracy of polling results can also be affected by question wording, mode effects, house effects, and other issues.