Surveys and Polls
Today polls and surveys are an important part of business, politics and society worldwide. Information on public opinion – analyses, summaries, polling results and, in some cases, copies of actual polling forms– and can be found in various places. This guide is intended to help you identify and locate information and materials - both online and in print - that may be useful to you as you do your research in this area. It is by no means exhaustive or inclusive.
Jump to:
- Top Databases
- Books, Reference & Print Resources
- Internet Resources & Websites
- Related Research Guides
- Additional Information
Top Databases
Gallup BrainGallup Brain includes more than 100,000 questions--and millions of Americans' responses--from every Gallup public opinion poll conducted in the United States since 1935. The Gallup Organization regularly polls Americans on current topics and the issues that most affect them. The database also includes full text of the Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing. The Gallup Brain is updated weekly and includes all current and historical Gallup analysis of the data. [more]
iPOLL
iPOLL offers full-text, question-level summary data from public opinion polls from major survey research organizations in the United States, including the Gallup Poll, Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, Harris, the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press. [more]
Polling the Nations
Poll questions and responses from more than 14,000 national, state, local and special public opinion polls and surveys conducted by 700 polling organizations in the United States and 80 other countries. [more]
ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research)
Vanderbilt University is a member of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). Our membership provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction. ICPSR also provides access to special topic archives sponsored by agencies outside ICPSR, including the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data and the International Archive of Education Data. The 'ICPSR Direct' service provides immediate access to the ICPSR data holdings for all students, faculty, and staff at Vanderbilt, allowing them to download data directly from ICPSR. The database link above will take you to an intermediate 'ICPSR Services at Vanderbilt' webpage with additional information about this resource.
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Books, Reference & Print Resources
Polling America : An Encyclopedia of Public OpinionCentral Library REF
HN90 .P8 P645
Polling and the Public : What Every Citizen Should Know
Central Library REF
HM1236 .A75
The Survey Research Handbook
Central Library REF
HN29 .A46
NORC-GSS cumulative data file 1972-2004
Central Library
CDROM 669 Government Information (4th Floor)
The General Social Survey is an ongoing regular personal interview survey of U.S. households conducted by NORC ( National Opinion Research Center ). The survey covers social, cultural, and political topics and measures the direction of American attitudes, experiences, practices, and concerns.
The General Social Survey is an ongoing regular personal interview survey of U.S. households conducted by NORC ( National Opinion Research Center ). The survey covers social, cultural, and political topics and measures the direction of American attitudes, experiences, practices, and concerns.
American Demographics
This is a monthly trade magazine providing statistical information and analysis, including survey results on the U.S. population, consumer trends, and other related topics.
Public Opinion Quarterly
Published since 1937, Public Opinion Quarterly is among the most frequently cited journals of its kind. Such interdisciplinary leadership benefits academicians and all social science researchers by providing a trusted source for a wide range of high quality research.
Search for more books in the ACORN Catalog
Useful subject headings include: PUBLIC OPINION, PUBLIC OPINION POLLS, SOCIAL SURVEYS, SAMPLING, and INTERVIEWING. You may use these headings to search Acorn our catalog for books and online resources on this topic.
Internet Resources & Websites
Pew Research Center The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It is made up of seven projects. PewResearch.org is a portal to material produced by the seven projects and also a home to original material produced exclusively for this site.
Public Agenda
For over a quarter of a century, Public Agenda has been providing unbiased and unparalleled research that bridges the gap between American leaders and what the public really thinks about issues ranging from education to foreign policy to immigration to religion and civility in American life. Nonpartisan and nonprofit, Public Agenda was founded by social scientist and author Daniel Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance in 1975.
Related Research Guides
Additional Information
- Use of the databases implies acceptance of our Copyright and Licensing Restrictions.
- Need help accessing a resource from off-campus? Take a look at the Troubleshooting Tips page.
- Don't know where to begin? Check out the How do I begin my research? page for information on how to get started researching various topics and use citation information.
- Do you know the name of a database that you'd like to use? Use Databases (A-Z) to locate a known resource and get more information.
- The Databases by Subject page can help direct you to similar resources by topic.
- Additional databases are also available through the Jean & Alexander Heard Library.
- Want to browse electronic journals? Check out the E-Journals (A-Z).
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