American Association for Public Opinion Research

The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) is a professional association serving specialists in public opinion, survey methodology, and related forms of social research. Its membership includes researchers and practitioners from universities, news organizations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private-sector research firms. Although based in the United States, the association's subject matter and membership have an international dimension, particularly through its work on comparative surveys and its relationship with the World Association for Public Opinion Research. AAPOR was established by pioneering American pollsters including Archibald Crossley, George Gallup, and Elmo Roper. Its central premise is that responsibly conducted public opinion research can support democratic decision-making by helping policymakers, journalists, scholars, and the public understand people's views, experiences, and priorities. The organization therefore focuses less on conducting commercial polling itself than on developing professional standards, supporting education, facilitating debate, and improving public understanding of how survey evidence should be produced and interpreted. Standards and ethics are at the center of AAPOR's work. Members agree to follow the association's Code of Professional Ethics and Practices, which addresses responsibilities to research participants, clients, colleagues, and the public. The code emphasizes careful research design, attention to reliability and validity, responsible handling of participant and identifiable information, accurate reporting of methods and findings, and disclosure of limitations. It is intended to articulate principles that can guide the profession more broadly, including researchers who are not members of AAPOR. A major revision of the code was approved in April 2021. AAPOR also promotes methodological transparency. In October 2014 it introduced the Transparency Initiative, a voluntary program encouraging research organizations to disclose important information about sampling, fieldwork, weighting, questionnaires, data collection, and other methodological procedures when publishing survey results. The initiative is designed to help journalists and members of the public assess the relationship between research methods and the quality of reported findings. Participation signals a commitment to disclosure, not an AAPOR certification or ranking of the quality of an organization's individual studies. The initiative had 98 participating organizations as of 2023, according to the reference material. The association disseminates research through three journals: Public Opinion Quarterly, Survey Practice, and the Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology. It also publishes task-force and working-group reports on subjects such as cell-phone sampling, online panels, nonprobability sampling, big data, social media research, survey refusals, comparative surveys, and pre-election polling. These publications allow AAPOR to respond to changes in technology, data collection, media use, and public expectations. AAPOR's annual conference is a major professional meeting for presenting research, discussing methodology, recruiting, and exchanging ideas. The association additionally offers short courses, webinars, and affinity-group activities. It supports students and early-career researchers through awards, competitions, fellowships, and conference opportunities. Its award portfolio includes recognition for innovation, public service, policy impact, books, student papers, diversity, and lifetime achievement. Diversity and inclusion became a formal organizational priority through an initiative adopted in 2016. AAPOR has supported affinity groups, including a cross-cultural and multilingual research group formally recognized in 2017. In 2023, AAPOR and Cornell University's Roper Center for Public Opinion Research launched the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship in Support of Diversity and Inclusion for graduate students from racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in polling research. AAPOR remains an active professional organization whose main functions are setting expectations for research practice, connecting the field's practitioners, and helping the public evaluate opinion and survey evidence.

AAPOR emerged from the development of modern public opinion polling in the United States. Its founders included Archibald Crossley, George Gallup, and Elmo Roper, three figures associated with the early professionalization of polling and the public presentation of survey findings. The association's creation provided a shared professional forum for researchers working across academia, journalism, government, nonprofit organizations, and private industry. From its early years, AAPOR's role extended beyond the interests of individual polling firms. It sought to establish common expectations for research quality and professional conduct, while giving researchers a venue to discuss sampling, interviewing, questionnaire design, data analysis, reporting, and the interpretation of public opinion. The association's annual meeting became a central institution for presenting new work and debating the practical and theoretical problems facing the field. AAPOR developed a continuing program of publications and professional education. Its journal portfolio came to include Public Opinion Quarterly, Survey Practice, and the Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology. It also convened task forces and working groups when new technologies, changing response patterns, or controversial research practices required collective methodological assessment. Topics addressed in the reference material include cell-phone sampling, opt-in online panels, survey refusals, nonprobability samples, credibility intervals, big data, social media, mobile data collection, human-subjects protection, comparative surveys, and the performance of pre-election polls. The association's ethics and standards work became a defining part of its identity. Its Code of Professional Ethics and Practices sets expectations for reliable and valid research, accurate communication of methods and results, treatment of research participants, protection of identifiable information, disclosure of limitations, and responsible relationships with clients and the public. The code is written as a statement of principles for public opinion and survey researchers generally, although AAPOR members formally agree to observe it. A revised version was approved in April 2021. AAPOR expanded its emphasis on transparency in 2014 through the Transparency Initiative. The initiative encourages organizations to disclose methodological procedures in enough detail for outside audiences to understand how a survey was conducted and to judge the implications for survey quality. It does not constitute an endorsement of the quality of every participating organization's research. Rather, it creates a framework for encouraging disclosure and improving the public interpretation of polling. The association has also responded to changes in the composition of the profession. In 2016 it adopted a diversity initiative intended to improve inclusion within AAPOR and across polling and survey research. Affinity groups offered members a way to organize around professional interests and personal or cultural affinities; the cross-cultural and multilingual research group became the first formally recognized affinity group in 2017. Subsequent activities included attention to women's professional pathways and a 2023 fellowship established with Cornell University's Roper Center for Public Opinion Research for graduate students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. AAPOR's annual conference, short courses, webinars, and affinity-group meetings continue to serve as its principal community and learning platforms. Its awards recognize distinguished contributions, innovation, public service, policy impact, books, student research, diversity, and lifetime achievement. The association's 75th-anniversary meeting in 2020 was planned as an in-person event but was converted to a virtual conference in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today AAPOR remains an active professional association whose influence rests on standards, publications, convening, education, and efforts to make survey evidence more transparent and responsibly used.

• 2023

  W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship launched

  [1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  AAPOR and the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research established a fellowship supporting diversity and inclusion in polling research.

• 2021

  Professional ethics code revised

  [1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  AAPOR approved a revised Code of Professional Ethics and Practices in April 2021.

• 2020

  75th-anniversary conference moved online

  [1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  The association converted its planned in-person anniversary conference into a virtual event during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2016

  Diversity initiative adopted

  [1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  AAPOR adopted an initiative focused on increasing diversity within the association and the polling profession.

• 2014

  Transparency Initiative introduced

  [1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  AAPOR launched a voluntary disclosure program for organizations conducting and publishing survey research.

• 2008

  Task-force work on cell-phone sampling and pre-election polling

  [1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  AAPOR published work addressing cell-phone research and examined methodological problems in the 2008 New Hampshire and presidential primary polls.

• Association founded by pioneering pollsters

  [1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  AAPOR was established by a group that included Archibald Crossley, George Gallup, and Elmo Roper, helping create a professional forum for public opinion and survey researchers.

A professional standards, knowledge-sharing, and convening organization for public opinion and survey research. AAPOR positions credible methodology, ethical conduct, transparency, and public understanding as essential to the responsible use of polling and survey evidence.

• Professional standard

  Code of Professional Ethics and Practices

  AAPOR's principal ethics and standards document sets expectations for responsible public opinion and survey research. It addresses research quality, participant treatment, handling of identifiable information, disclosure of methods and limitations, and accurate presentation of findings. Members agree to follow the code, while its principles are also intended to inform researchers beyond the association's membership.

• Transparency program · 2014

  AAPOR Transparency Initiative

  Introduced in 2014, the Transparency Initiative encourages organizations to disclose methodological details behind survey findings. Its purpose is to help journalists, policymakers, researchers, and the public understand how sampling, data collection, weighting, questionnaires, and other design choices affect the interpretation of results. Participation indicates a commitment to disclosure rather than a guarantee or ranking of research quality.

• Academic journal

  Public Opinion Quarterly

  A scholarly journal associated with AAPOR that publishes research relevant to public opinion, survey methodology, and the interpretation of survey evidence. It forms part of the association's publication infrastructure for advancing research and professional discussion.

• Professional journal

  Survey Practice

  AAPOR's practitioner-oriented journal provides a venue for applied discussions of survey design, fieldwork, data collection, analysis, reporting, and professional practice. It also carries material on the development of researchers and the changing conditions of the survey profession.

• Academic journal

  Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology

  This journal associated with AAPOR focuses on statistical and methodological issues in survey research. It supports the dissemination of technical work concerning sampling, estimation, measurement, data collection, and the evaluation of survey quality.

• Research reports

  AAPOR Task Force Reports

  AAPOR commissions working groups and task forces to examine topical issues affecting survey research. Report subjects have included cell-phone sampling, online panels, nonprobability sampling, survey refusals, big data, social media, mobile technologies, comparative surveys, human-subjects protection, and pre-election polling.

• Professional development

  AAPOR Awards and Fellowships

  The association provides awards, student competitions, conference support, and fellowships recognizing innovation, public service, policy impact, books, student research, diversity, and lifetime achievement. These programs support professional recognition and the development of early-career researchers.

• 2023W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship in Support of Diversity and Inclusion

  United States

  AAPOR and Cornell University's Roper Center for Public Opinion Research created a fellowship for graduate students from racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in polling research.

  Outcome. The fellowship became part of the organizations' effort to strengthen the diversity pipeline in the polling field.

  Source
• 2016Diversity Initiative

  United States

  AAPOR launched an organizational effort to broaden participation and representation within the association and the wider polling profession, including support for affinity groups.

  Outcome. The effort led to formal recognition of affinity-group activity and later supported diversity-focused student and graduate initiatives.

  Source
• 2014Transparency Initiative

  United States · International

  AAPOR encouraged survey organizations to make methodological procedures and research disclosures more accessible and consistent when communicating survey results.

  Outcome. The initiative developed a voluntary participation framework; 98 organizations were reported as participating by 2023.

  Source

• 2021

  Revise the Code of Professional Ethics and PracticesStrategy

  Background

  Changes in survey technology, data sources, privacy expectations, and research practices required an updated statement of professional responsibilities.

  Action taken

  AAPOR approved a revised code in April 2021.

  Aftermath

  The revised code continued to emphasize research quality, participant protections, transparency, and accurate communication of results.

  Source

• 2020

  Convert the 75th-anniversary conference to a virtual eventOther

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic made the planned in-person annual meeting impractical.

  Action taken

  AAPOR moved the anniversary conference online.

  Aftermath

  The conference proceeded virtually, demonstrating the association's adaptation of its principal convening activity during the pandemic.

  Source

• 2016

  Adopt a diversity and inclusion strategyStrategy

  Background

  AAPOR identified limited diversity within the association and polling profession as an issue affecting professional development and representation.

  Action taken

  The association adopted a diversity initiative and supported affinity-group structures.

  Aftermath

  The initiative was followed by formal recognition of a cross-cultural and multilingual research affinity group and later fellowship activity.

  Source

• 2014

  Create a voluntary transparency programStrategy

  Background

  Public debate about polling quality and the relationship between research methods and reported findings increased the need for clearer methodological disclosure.

  Action taken

  AAPOR established the Transparency Initiative and invited research organizations to participate under disclosure principles.

  Aftermath

  The program became a continuing mechanism for encouraging transparent reporting; participation reached 98 organizations by 2023.

  Source

• 2023

  AAPOR and the Roper Center launch the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship[1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The joint fellowship was created to support graduate students from racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in polling research and to strengthen the field's diversity pipeline.

• 2021

  AAPOR approves a revised Code of Professional Ethics and Practices[1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation

  The association approved a major revision of its professional code covering research quality, participant protections, disclosure, reporting, and responsible use of survey results.

• 2021

  AAPOR and WAPOR issue a task-force report on quality in comparative surveys[1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A joint task force addressed methodological considerations involved in assessing and comparing survey quality across countries and settings.

• 2017

  Cross-cultural and multilingual research affinity group receives formal recognition[1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  AAPOR formally recognized its cross-cultural and multilingual research affinity group, expanding the association's structures for professional and personal-interest communities.

• 2016

  AAPOR adopts a diversity initiative[1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The association made increasing diversity within AAPOR and the wider polling profession an organizational priority, including support for member affinity groups.

• 2014

  AAPOR launches the Transparency Initiative[1]American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  AAPOR introduced a voluntary program encouraging survey organizations to disclose methodological information so that media organizations and the public could better evaluate reported findings.

1. 1American Association for Public Opinion Researchen.wikipedia.org
2. 2AAPOR official websiteaapor.org