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The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) is a professional organization of more than 2,000 public opinion and survey research professionals in the United States and from around the world, with members from academia, media, government, the non-profit sector and private industry. AAPOR publishes three academic journals: Public Opinion Quarterly, Survey Practice and the Journal for Survey Statistics and Methodology. It holds an annual research conference and maintains a "Code of Professional Ethics and Practices," for survey research which all members agree to follow.
Contents
- Standards Ethics
- Transparency Initiative
- The AAPOR Awards
- Annual Conference
- Upcoming Annual Conferences
- Task Force Reports
- References
AAPOR’s stated principle is that public opinion research is essential to a healthy democracy, providing information crucial to informed policy-making and giving voice to people’s beliefs, attitudes and desires. Through its annual conference, standards and ethics codes and publications, AAPOR seeks to promote a better public understanding of the role of public opinion research in a democracy, as well as the sound and ethical conduct and use of public opinion research.
Standards & Ethics
Promoting standards and ethics is central AAPOR's mission. The individuals who are members of AAPOR agree to observe the organization’s Code of Professional Ethics and Practices that define and mandate the proper practice of public opinion and survey research with the appropriate use of research results. The Code is designed to express fundamental principles that apply to the conduct of research regardless of an individual’s membership in AAPOR. Adherence to the principles andactions set out in the Code is possible for of all public opinion and survey researchers, whether they are AAPOR members or not.
Under the Code, practitioners of survey research are expected to conduct their research with care, taking all reasonable steps to assure the reliability and validity of the results and communicate their methods and findings accurately with appropriate detail. The AAPOR code details the standards for dealing with research participants and identifiable information. And it indicates the need to provide clients with all information regarding possible research limitations and the need for disclosure.
The latest revision was approved in May 2015.
Transparency Initiative
In October 2014, AAPOR launched the Transparency Initiative (TI) to encourage research organizations to disclose their methodological procedures fully and rigorously when reporting survey-based findings. AAPOR established a set of principles for disclosure and then invited organizations to apply to join the TI effort and be recognized for their promise to comply with the guidelines. Joining the TI does not imply any judgment about the quality or rigor of the methods being disclosed. The purpose of TI is to promote understanding of the relationship between methodology and survey quality, increase adherence to AAPOR’s Code of Professional Ethics and Practices and enable members of the media and the public to evaluate survey quality.
The AAPOR Awards
Each year, AAPOR presents a portfolio of awards to recognize distinguished work in the profession, as well as to further the education of students and early career researchers; these awards are the highest honors given by the AAPOR.
Annual Conference
The annual conference offers a forum for innovative research, workshops and discussion forums for public opinion researchers and practitioners of diverse disciplines from around the world. Attendees learn the latest trends in the field, network with colleagues and make new connections.
Upcoming Annual Conferences
Task Force Reports
As needed, AAPOR may commission a working group to address topical issues relating to the survey research industry. These working groups produce reports to introduce new methods, address methodological concerns or provide guidance on the application of specific research methods. Here are some of those Task Force Reports: