Resources
For information about survey research and polling
American Association for Public Opinion Research
On this site, you can find information about numerous topics relating to the methodology and practice of conducting surveys and polls. You can also find resources related to researching public opinion.
Among other items here, you can can find:
FAQs about surveying and polls; topics here are on the AAPOR home page
Best Practices for survey research
50 books that shaped public opinion research
Resources for researchers
Election polling resources
National Council on Public Polls
Among other items here, you can find:
20 Questions a Journalist Should Ask, by Sheldon R. Gawiser & G. Evans Witt, 3rd edition.
For information and resources about the 2008 elections, polls and political analysis / commentary
The above site has polls, polls and more polls.
The above site contains recent poll results / information as well as links to current commentary / analysis.
The above site contains current poll results and analysis, including attention to the topic of the accuracy of recent polls.
On this site, go directly to the polls
On this site, go directly to the blogs (includes a list of public pollsters and other relevant sites)
What happened to the NH Democratic primary polls? A good bibliography is on this site. (Note: the Democratic primary polls in South Carolina were actually worse. Blogs on Pollster also cover this.)
On this site, you will also find answers to FAQs regarding election polls.
Public Opinion Research Centers
Pew Research Center -- research / analysis on public opinion and voting behavior topics, and much more
See the "Topic Index" tab topics, which include: Politics & Elections; Election '08; Public Opinion; Research Methodology; and State Government.
Survey Questions
Odum Institute for Research in Social Sciences, University of North Carolina
The Institute's public opinion database
For information on Illinois state politics, government and related resources
Illinois Issues magazine
Illinois Issues online, from the premier magazine on Illinois politics, government and public policy
the Illinois Issues blog, by Bethany Jaeger
Capitol Fax blog -- click here
Did you know? Rich Miller, Capitol Fax owner and "guru," once worked as a telephone interviewer for the UIS (then SSU) Survey Research Office. A subscription is needed for the regular fax/email. This site, available to all, is filled with useful resource links to Illinois-related news.
The official Illinois state government site
Illinois State Library information site (click below)
Public Policy Centers / Institutes -- Illinois
Center for State Policy and Leadership, University of Illinois at Springfield
Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois
Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
Metro Chicago Information Center (MCIC - Chicago)
Center for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University
For Illinois Census / demographic information
The Census quickfacts Illinois page
The Cell Phone-Only Challenge in Survey Research
Recent analysis can be found in:
Special edition (after Winter issue, 2007) of Public Opinion Quarterly, available to non-members of AAPOR
New (2008) Pew Center research of impact of cell-phone only individuals (Keeter, Dimock, Christian and Kennedy) -- click here
Updated (2008) impact of cell phones on 2008 presidential vote preference polling -- click here
Democracy, Reform and Civic Engagement
Deliberative Polls and Polling
The Center for Deliberative Democracy, Stanford Unversity (Dept. of Communication)
A summary of deliberative polls here
PBS "By the People" webpage on deliberative polling
The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform