World Association for Public Opinion Research

World Association for Public Opinion Research
Name	World Association for Public Opinion Research
Abbreviation	WAPOR
Formation	1947
Type	International professional association
Headquarters	Variable (rotating)
Region served	Global
Membership	Academics, practitioners, institutes

World Association for Public Opinion Research The World Association for Public Opinion Research is an international professional association dedicated to survey research, public opinion measurement, and methodology. It brings together scholars, practitioners, and institutions from across regions including Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia to advance standards in polling, survey methodology, and data quality. The association interacts with a range of organizations and individuals associated with electoral studies, social surveys, market research, and statistical agencies.

History

Founded in the aftermath of World War II alongside institutions rebuilding comparative inquiry, the association emerged amid dialogues involving figures and bodies linked to the United Nations, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, European Broadcasting Union, and postwar research networks. Early contacts included scholars from Harvard University, University of Michigan, London School of Economics, and Université de Paris who were also affiliated with institutes like the National Opinion Research Center and the Institute for Public Opinion Research. Over subsequent decades the association intersected with developments at the International Statistical Institute, the American Association for Public Opinion Research, the International Social Science Council, and regional groupings such as the Latin American Public Opinion Research Association and the European Survey Research Association. Milestones mirrored broader trends seen in events like the Cold War shift to comparative polling, the expansion of telephone surveys in the 20th century, and the rise of digital methods in the early 21st century alongside institutions such as RAND Corporation and Pew Research Center.

Objectives and Activities

The association's objectives align with professional standards promoted by organizations like the American Statistical Association, the Royal Statistical Society, and the International Labour Organization for reliable measurement. Core activities include the promotion of survey methodology innovations pioneered at centers such as the Center for Survey Research, the dissemination of best practices influenced by European Commission surveys and national statistical offices like the Statistics Canada and the Office for National Statistics (United Kingdom). It fosters collaboration among academics from universities such as Stanford University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and University of Oxford and practitioners from firms like Nielsen Holdings, Ipsos, Kantar Group, and Gallup.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises individual researchers, polling organizations, and institutional subscribers, drawing from networks associated with International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and national research councils. Governance typically involves an elected board with officers modeled on governance practices seen at the American Political Science Association and the International Communication Association, and often includes committees reflecting specializations found at the European Consortium for Political Research and the Asian Barometer Survey. Leadership roles have been held by academics affiliated with institutions such as Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Amsterdam, and University of Buenos Aires.

Conferences and Events

The association organizes annual and biennial conferences, workshops, and training sessions comparable to events hosted by the International Congress of Sociology, the World Congress of Sociology, and the Society for Political Methodology. Conferencing venues have included cities associated with major universities and research hubs such as Paris, London, Madrid, New York City, São Paulo, Cape Town, Tokyo, and Berlin. Events often feature panels with contributors from think tanks like the Brookings Institution, Chatham House, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as well as electoral studies networks including the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems.

Publications and Research

The association supports publication and dissemination of methodological research and applied studies similar to outlets such as Public Opinion Quarterly, Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology, and the International Journal of Public Opinion Research. Research topics include sampling innovations, questionnaire design, mode effects, weighting, and comparative polling implemented in projects affiliated with European Social Survey, World Values Survey, and national longitudinal studies at institutions like University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. Collaborative research often references standards promoted by the American Association for Public Opinion Research and technical guidance from bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union concerning communication modes.

Awards and Recognition

The association confers awards recognizing methodological innovation, lifetime achievement, and contributions to public understanding of survey research, paralleling honors given by the American Political Science Association and the Royal Statistical Society. Recipients have included scholars and practitioners affiliated with institutions such as Princeton University, Cornell University, University of Toronto, Monash University, and leading polling firms like Gallup and Pew Research Center.

Regional and National Affiliates

Regional and national affiliates operate in coordination with networks such as the European Survey Research Association, the Latin American Public Opinion Research Association, and the Asian Public Opinion Research Council. National partners have included organizations like Association for Public Opinion Research (United States), national statistical agencies such as Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía and academic centers at Universidad de Buenos Aires, University of Cape Town, National Taiwan University, and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Category:Survey methodology organizations Category:International professional associations