Useful Links for Public Opinion, Polling, and Commentary Resources
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CONTENTS for PUBLIC OPINION & POLLING RESOURCE LINKS
LATEST NEWS IN POLLING & PUBLIC OPINION TRENDS
Mystery Pollster (Mark Blumenthal) is probably the best available non-partisan, professional commentary on polling.
Polling Report is another excellent site that gathers and compares current polls (including trend assessments) from most of the major data polling agencies.
Professor Pollkatz (Stuart Eugene Thiel) offers a "pool of polls" (in which he averages the results and trends from several sources), links poll related materials, and general information. Though he has a pronounced (liberal) agenda, his methodology is sound.
LINKS TO POLLING ORGANIZATIONS & GENERAL INFORMATION
The Washington Post On Politics Data Directory contains many links to nonpartisan public opinion data from media and national polling organizations, academic archives, and some state polling organizations.
Source Watch (from the Center for Media & Democracy) lists many organizations that regularly conduct polls. Note that some links are not active, but you can clip the relevant text into a search engine to find the right link.
D.C.'s Political Report contains one of the most exhaustive lists of political and policy related web links. Scroll down to the "Political Pollsters" section for a list of major American polling agencies (partisan organizations are marked with an (R) or a (D)).
Several universities provide virtual clearinghouses for links to polling data and information:
- CalTech: survey organizations, media pollsters, online surveys, and polling methodology, with an emphasis on political and Internet topics.
- Cornell University: polling data archives, with an emphasis on national and international estimates of public opinion on a variety of issues.
- Duke University: national, international, historical, and other polling archives.
- University of Illinois at Chicago: survey and polling research methodology and ethics, data archives, focus group methodology, and analysis issues.
- University of Kansas: directory of public opinion research centers — domestic by state and international by country.
- University of Michigan: public opinion and other data relevant to political issues.
- Northwest Missouri State University: a variety of domestic and international public opinion data on political, social, cultural, and consumer topics.
- Northwestern University: national and international polling data on a number of issues.
- University of Wisconsin: polling data regarding political, social, educational, and cultural topics from local to international coverages.
- Yale University: large domestic list of commercial and academic polling organizations, with a few international organizations, as well.
Carnegie Endowment's categorized list of major polling organizations and other resources.
The University of Connecticut's Roper Center categorizes links to professional polling associations and to academic, commercial, and international data gathering organizations. They also offer a short tutorial on the basics of public opinion polling.
California's EdSource, Public Agenda, and Wikipedia also host short introductions on the basics of polling.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS FOR POLLSTERS
Major national and international professional associations in the field include:
A SAMPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS CONDUCTING REGULAR POLLS
Professional Firms:
Nonprofit Organizations:
Academic Units:
Governments:
- US Census Bureau
- EUROPA, the European Union's major polling organization, responsible for the "Eurobarometer" and other large regularly conducted polls.
BLOGS AND OTHER COMMENTARY ON PUBLIC OPINION
Directories, Lists, and Searches:
Examples of Conservative Policy Commentary:
Examples of Moderate and Nonpartisan Policy Commentary:
Examples of Liberal Policy Commentary: