American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)

08/21/2026

Recent events involving fabricated polling data are an important reminder of the need to carefully evaluate the polls we encounter.

AAPOR's recently released Journalist’s Guide to Understanding Polls & Surveys provides key questions to ask when assessing polling and survey research.

Explore the guide & download the one-page cheat sheet:

Well-crafted surveys are the best way to measure public opinion and can be useful sources for journalists to use in accurate and unbiased reporting.

08/19/2026

AAPOR has released a statement strongly condemning the fabrication of data in any polling or public opinion research following reports that an organization produced and distributed fake polling data as part of a “short-term social experiment.” Intentionally misleading the public is a serious breach of ethics and undermines legitimate polling and public opinion work.

“It is extremely disturbing that this organization produced and distributed fabricated data undermining trust in public opinion and election polling,” said AAPOR President Mary Losch. “Professional polling organizations are transparent, ethical, and work hard to provide critical information to the public and other stakeholders. It is important that we don't conflate fraudulent activity like this with legitimate election polling.”

This incident also underscores the importance of transparency, ethical research practices, and careful scrutiny of polling methodologies.

Read AAPOR’s full statement:

An organization produced fake polls as part of a short-term social experiment. AAPOR condemns the fabrication of data in any polling or public opinion research.

08/13/2026

Survey costs shape nearly every decision in survey research, but compared with survey error, they remain understudied and often poorly understood. A new white paper summarizes the key takeaways and recommendations from the 2026 Survey Costs Workshop, held February 9–10, in Bethesda, Maryland, with support from AAPOR and other sponsoring organizations.

Drawing on discussions among approximately 100 survey research professionals, methodologists, statisticians, field operations specialists, and finance and accounting professionals, the paper explores some of the field’s biggest challenges and opportunities around understanding survey costs.

Among the key takeaways:

• Costs affect the entire survey lifecycle—not just data collection.
• Greater transparency and consistency are needed in how costs are defined and reported.
• Imperfect cost data can still provide valuable information for survey design and decision-making.
• Understanding cost-quality tradeoffs requires more research.
• The value of survey research extends beyond the cost of collecting the data to its broader, long-term societal benefits.

The paper also offers 12 recommendations to help organizations better understand and evaluate survey costs and identifies opportunities for future research across the field.

Special thanks to the white paper’s authors—Kristen Olson, James Wagner, Jill DeMatteis, John Eltinge, Daifeng Han, Chris Jackson, and Eric Rancourt—as well as the workshop presenters, participants, and our fellow sponsoring organizations, including the The American Statistical Association, Westat, SSRS, Miravoice , and the International Association of Survey Statisticians, for their contributions to this important initiative.

We invite members and the broader survey research community to explore the report and consider how its findings can inform future research, organizational practices, and conversations about balancing survey costs, quality, and value.

Read the announcement: https://aapor.org/announcements/new-white-paper-on-survey-costs-released/

Access the white paper:https://aapor.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Survey-Cost-White-Paper_07012026.pdf

AAPOR is pleased to announce the release of a new white paper that explores one of the most important factors influencing survey research.

08/12/2026

AAPOR member Trent Buskirk, professor and provost fellow of data science at Old Dominion University, recently joined federal, academic, and industry experts for a Federal News Network discussion on the evolving role of AI in federal statistical programs. During the conversation, Trent shared insights from AAPOR’s recent Responsible AI Integration in Survey Research report, bringing AAPOR’s work on the responsible use of AI in public opinion and survey research into this important discussion.

The panel also featured:

* Askari Rizvi, National Center for Health Statistics
* Denice Ross, Federation of American Scientists
* Paul Schroeder, Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics
* Rob Chew, RTI International
* Jerry Timbrook, RTI International

The resulting executive briefing, Rethinking Federal Statistics in the AI Era, explores opportunities for AI across survey operations as well as the importance of human oversight, privacy, transparency, equity, and public trust.

Read the briefing: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/cme-event/federal-insights/rethinking-federal-statistics-in-the-ai-era/

Access AAPOR's AI report:https://aapor.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Responsible-AI-Integration-In-Survey-Research.pdf

Federal agencies are testing AI to improve survey quality, reduce costs and scale insights — but trust remains the priority. See how leaders are balancing innovation with transparency…

08/11/2026

In this Heritage Interview, Mandy Sha sits down with Tom Guterbock, professor emeritus at the University of Virginia and founding director of the UVA Center for Survey Research. Tom reflects on the creation of the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO), the evolution & future of academic survey research centers, his more than 30 years of involvement with AAPOR, and the values that continue to guide the profession. Along the way, he shares personal stories, lessons from a lifetime of leadership, and his perspective on the future of survey research.

Watch the interview:

Hosted by Mandy Sha May 2026 | Los Angeles, Cali...

08/10/2026

"What we produce is not just data. It is a record. A record of what people think, what they experience, and how society is changing. We must protect that, celebrate it, and feel pride in the importance of the work that we do."

Jordon Peugh's Presidential Address, Bearing Witness to This Moment, is now available in Public Opinion Quarterly - POQ.

First delivered at the AAPOR 2026 Annual Conference, her address reflects on the challenges facing public opinion and survey research while reaffirming the importance of our work, our community, and our shared commitment to evidence.

Read the full address:

08/07/2026

AAPOR's 2025–2026 Annual Report is now available, showcasing the remarkable work made possible by a dedicated staff and an extraordinary community of volunteers. Together, we delivered educational programs, advanced professional standards, published leading journals and resources, recognized excellence across the profession, and created opportunities for researchers to learn, connect, and collaborate.

Explore the report and see how our community continues to advance public opinion and survey research:https://aapor.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AAPOR-Annual-Report-2025-2026.pdf

08/06/2026

As our field navigates complex challenges, one of our greatest strengths is the willingness of experts across the profession to share their knowledge with one another.

In her latest message, Education Chair Camille Burge-Hicks reflects on how the collective expertise of AAPOR members fuels year-round learning through webinars, short courses, and other educational opportunities.

Read her message & learn how education and shared expertise continue to strengthen the public opinion and survey research community:

AAPOR helps professionals at every career stage stay informed, build new skills, and navigate an evolving research landscape.

08/05/2026

AAPOR Award Spotlight: Seymour Sudman Student Paper Competition Award

Congratulations to Ujjayini Das of the University of Maryland, College Park, recipient of the 2026 AAPOR Seymour Sudman Student Paper Competition Award for "Design-Aware Ordinal Weighted Likelihood Bootstrap (D-OWLB): A Novel Model-Based Inference Method for Ordinal Disparity Measures from Complex Surveys."

Muzhi Liu of Columbia University received Honorable Mention for "When Partisan Anchors Make Parties Legible: Transnational Partisan Generalization After U.S. Political Violence."

Congratulations to both students on these outstanding achievements and thank you to the members of the Seymour Sudman Student Paper Competition Award Committee for their thoughtful review and selection of this year's recipients.

08/04/2026

Help shape AAPOR's educational programming! We are now accepting proposals for the 2026–2027 Short Course program. Share your expertise through an in-depth course offered virtually throughout the year or in-person at the 2027 AAPOR Annual Conference in Austin.

Submit your proposal by September 23: https://www.cognitoforms.com/AmericanAssociationForPublicOpinionResearch/_2027CallForShortCourses