by Mollyann Brodie, President
It seems that a day (or an hour) doesn’t go by without another article hitting my email (and AAPORnet!) critical of polls and how they are doing in terms of predicting electoral outcomes; discussing the latest worries about the recent FCC rulings on the TCPA; or declaring the demise of traditional survey methods. Many of us in all our various roles and diverse sectors of the survey research community are paying close attention to these important topics, as is your AAPOR Council. In our AAPOR 2025 Strategic Vision we state that we are an organization that promotes our core values – “collegiality, integrity, rigor, transparency and intellectual-sharing in the advancement of knowledge, collaboration, and education.” We use these core values in organizing and shaping our activities.
by David Dutwin, Conference Chair
​Did you know that over 100 people move to Austin every day? Yup, that is the current best estimate (of course demographers don’t all fully agree with this assessment…who would think that survey researchers could ever disagree with one another??!). And every week brings us closer to visiting this dynamic, colorful, and growing city in the Lone Star State.
by Tim Johnson, Chair, Transparency Initiative Coordinating Committee
The TI wrapped up its first official year of operation in early October 2015, having completed processing and admission of 77 survey organizations as Charter Members. This exceeded our expectations and we are very pleased with the strong commitment to the principle of transparency of research methodology that many of the leading organizations in our Association have taken by formally affiliating with this effort. The complete list of Charter Members can be found on AAPOR’s web site. These organizations represent 26 states, as well as the District of Columbia. One organization from Mexico has also joined the TI as a Charter Member. The TI Coordinating Committee continues to develop new online materials to support the Transparency Initiative, and we look forward to welcoming new members during our second year of operation.
Tom W. Smith is the first recipient of NORC at the University of Chicago’s newly created Norman Bradburn Career Achievement Award. The award was established to recognize individuals who, through the course of working for NORC, have made a significant contribution to the field of social science research or methodology. For the past 35 years, Smith has been the director of the General Social Survey, one of NORC's most visible projects and one of the nation's most heavily utilized datasets. Smith also directs NORC's Center for the Study of Politics and Society.