Why Public Opinion Research Matters — And Why It Might Be for You

A: My interest has to do with the importance of studying American democracy of which public opinion is a central part. My particular interest also had to do with my interest in political history. So I have come to be a student of the historical study of public opinion and democracy.

A: The should get involved if they are interest in the public opinion and/or political psychology especially as it pertains to issues or any attitudes about anything in social, economic, or political life. Or if they are interested in the scientific and statistical side of survey research or any aspects of the methodology used to study public opinion, its measurement, influences on it,  or its effects.  The skill one uses to study these are of use more generally in scientific or social scientific research of all sorts.  

A: In addition to the above, one of my favorite parts is that public opinion research is very collaborative -- it involves working with students, colleagues, any collaborators in data collection, compilation of data, data analysis, and also in coauthored writings.  And interacting with people in the field.  For me it also involves teaching. 

A: I studied political science with an emphasis in international affairs/diplomacy so domestic politics and polling, generally, was never really on my radar as graduation approached. When I learned of an opening at Pew Research from a professor I was working for at the time, I felt compelled to apply. Being a politics nerd myself, I of course knew all about Pew Research and admired their work/mission in the politics space. Getting the job was and continues to be an absolute honor and pleasure. So in a sense, I kind of stumbled into polling. Working with academics on their political research is very different from polling, though a lot of the skills required to do the former transfer over. I have found public opinion research to be incredibly insightful and fulfilling.

A: I think back to when I started college as a psychology major and the desire I had to understand people. I was so interested in understanding why people they think and act the way they do. I fell in love with politics for a similar reason. I remember my first poli sci course, introduction to international politics. I was enthralled with our readings and discussions on why political actors behave the way they do, how they interact with other actors, why we go to war, etc. While polling was never on my radar in undergrad, it really ties back to my key interest—understanding peoples and behaviors. Public opinion research is all about accurately tracking these kinds of measures of behavior and attitudes. All of this to say, I would encourage students to think about their core interests. What do you love learning about and why? There may be careers that allow you to pursue those interests that you had never previously considered.

A: This is kind of a cop out but my favorite part about what I do is the entire research process from start to finish. From questionnaire development to building graphics and drafting reports—including everything in between—the research process can be incredibly rewarding. I think one of the best parts about what we do is that we always have a final product we are working towards. It is so nice to see ideas of questions turn into fully formed, fielded questions, which turns into real data you can visualize in a graphic/chart and discuss in a report. Our reports are always the final product and there is always more in the pipeline which is both exciting and motivating.

A: I studied psychology in college. During my time in college, I had the opportunity to assist with psych research pertaining to technology and well-being. Working in a psychology lab helped sparked my interest in research. However, after graduating, I wanted to explore research outside the academic setting. Looking for my first post-college job, I found that public opinion research was a field aligning with my interests to conduct research and make an impact on public discourse. Partly, this was impacted by my location in Washington D.C., where public opinion research is a very prominent field. Now, as a part of the Science and Society team at Pew Research Center, I get to use my background in psychology research to make genuine impact researching and reporting on a variety of topics such as trust in science, climate change, artificial intelligence, and mental health.

A: I would say a good start to considering if you should get involved in public opinion research is asking yourself, are you curious about what people think and want, and why? If the answer is yes, you should consider public opinion research! The great thing about public opinion research is its diversity in disciplines. Whether you’re interested in politics, economics, psychology, public health, statistics, or survey methodology, there’s a place in public opinion research for you. It’s an incredibly rewarding path as it allows you to amplify the voices of the public – especially voices that are often underrepresented – on issues that matter.

A: I, personally, love the questionnaire development part of public opinion research. I enjoy diving deep into the subject matter of a survey and brainstorming questions together with my team. It’s a highly collaborative process as we discuss ideas that excite us and tweak and re-tweak the set of questions on a survey. Developing a questionnaire is one of the most creative aspects of public opinion research - it’s like piecing together a puzzle, balancing depth with simplicity. Seeing respondents engage with and respond to questions I've played a role in crafting is exceptionally rewarding.

A: A long time ago, when I was an undergraduate student and working to support myself, I
answered a job posting for interviewers at Gallup. My work motivated me to start a
political science major, and I ended my studies by becoming a research assistant to Dr.
George Gallup. As I finished my studies, he and my senior thesis adviser suggested I
apply to the University of Michigan’s doctoral program in political science because they
had a strong interest in survey research and political behavior. At Michigan, there was
and is a strong interest in the social psychological underpinnings of public opinion – how
people form attitudes and opinions and how they persist or change. Based on that
training and Dr. Gallup’s interest in the role of public opinion in democracy, especially
the role of polls in the support of representative government, I have found a career that
has been intellectually challenging and personally gratifying. Public opinion polls provide
elected officials and policy makers with information about the public’s preferences for
new laws and policies as well as their satisfaction with current ones. Polls also provide
citizens with information about what other members of society think about important
issues of the day.

A: Beyond academic research, there are many other roles for public opinion researchers.
They include working in political campaigns, for government agencies at all levels, and and
in market research. You get to learn about what the public is thinking and to apply that knowledge to solving important social problems.

A: My favorite part about working in public opinion research is contributing to new
knowledge about the processes by which it is formed and how it contributes to the
functioning of our democracy. Through membership in professional associations like the
American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), I get to interact with
survey researchers who work in a wide range of organizations and agencies. This is an
evolving field, not a static one, and we are always dealing with changes in the
technology of data collection and how they affect the costs and quality of the resulting
data.

A: My senior year of college, I took a course on American political behavior with an emphasis on public opinion. We not only learned how to read and understand survey data, but also wrote, conducted and analyzed our own surveys of the student body. I’d previously taken some classes in statistics and data science, and I loved being able to use those skills to gather and interpret information about my own community. And this was also how I was first exposed to public opinion research organizations like the Roper Center and Pew Research Center! I applied to work at Pew Research Center shortly thereafter.

A: There’s so much in public opinion research: it’s sociology and psychology and political science and statistics and data science and communications all rolled into one. And even if you don’t end up doing public opinion research professionally, those skills will benefit you in any field you end up in.

A: I think it is essential to understand the people around us – what they think, how they think, and why they make the decisions that they do. In my job, I get to help big players (policymakers, the media…) understand what the public thinks and wants. I particularly love being able to shed light on unexpected or misunderstood trends in the data. At a time when the proliferation of new technology and AI has arguably made us less focused on humans overall, it feels particularly poignant to be doing this kind of work. Also – it makes me really good at Family Feud :)