NORC at the University of Chicago
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Formation | 1941 |
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Type | Private, nonprofit organization |
Purpose | Research |
Headquarters | Chicago,Illinois, U.S. |
Parent organization | University of Chicago |
Website | www![]() |
Formerly called | National Opinion Research Center |
NORC at the University of Chicago, previously theNational Opinion Research Center, is an independentsocial research organization in the United States. Established in 1941, its corporate headquarters is located in downtown Chicago, with offices in several other locations throughout the United States. Organized as an independent corporation, more than half its board comes from faculty and administration of theUniversity of Chicago. It also jointly staffs some of the university's academic research centers.[1]
History
The organization was founded by researcher Harry Field in 1941 as the "National Opinion Research Center", with financial support from department-store heir and newspaper ownerMarshall Field III (no relation) and theUniversity of Denver, where it was located.[2] The center moved to theUniversity of Chicago in 1947. Since its founding, NORC at the University of Chicago has conducted numeroussocial research projects involving opinion surveys, panel surveys, and marketing research. It also has conducted other data collection efforts for government agencies, nonprofit agencies, and corporations.
Data from surveys are also often analyzed in a wide range ofsocial sciences, especiallysociology. NORC is best known for its large, national surveys, but has also conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses, longitudinal analyses, methodological studies, and international projects.
Clients
NORC clients have included:
- American Bar Association - Women of Color in Law Firms Survey and Focus Groups[3]
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation –Gates Millennium Scholars Tracking and Longitudinal Study,[4] Washington State Achievers Program[5]
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) –National Immunization Survey (NIS),[6] National Flu Survey[7]
- CNN –Florida Ballot Project[8]
- Federal Reserve Board –Survey of Consumer Finances[9]
- NASA –Community Reactions to Sonic Booms,[10] Effects of Sonic Boom on People[11][12]
- New York Times –Florida Ballot Project[8]
- Tribune Company –Florida Ballot Project[8]
- U.S. Census Bureau –Integrated Communications Program (ICP) Evaluation[13]
- U.S. Department of Defense –Camp Lejeune Environmental Health Survey[14]
- U.S. Department of Education –Survey of Earned Doctorates[15]
- U.S. Department of Energy –Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey[16]
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services –National Survey of Children's Health,[17] National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE)[18]
- U.S. Department of LaborBureau of Labor Statistics –National Longitudinal Survey of Youth[19]
- Wall Street Journal –Florida Ballot Project[8]
- World Bank –Survey Data Collection for Impact Evaluation[20]
Notable projects
- AP Votecast, 2018–present: A survey system of voters and non-voters developed with theAssociated Press that replaces AP'sexit polls. The system debuted in 2018.[21][22]
- Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey 1991–present: Examines the social and health status ofMedicare beneficiaries on behalf of theCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- National Survey of Children's Health, 2003–present: Examines the physical and emotional health of children ages 0–17 years of age. Funded byU.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- National Immunization Survey (NIS), 1994–present: Provides the public with important statistics about childhood immunization and related health matters. Funded by theCDC.[6]
- Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), 1992–present: Collects information about household financial characteristics and behavior. In the United States, it is thought to be the best source of information about family finances. Approximately 4,500 subjects participate in the survey. Funded by theFederal Reserve Board.[9]
- General Social Survey (GSS), 1972–present: Monitors social change and the complexity of American society and has participated in the cross-national surveyInternational Social Survey Programme (ISSP) since 1985. This survey plays an important role in Americansociology. After theU.S. Census, it is the second most frequently analyzed source of information for the social sciences in the United States. Funded by the Sociology Program of theNational Science Foundation.[23]
- National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), 1966–present: Asks questions about economic, social, and academic experiences of the subjects. The survey also researches issues related to youth entry into the work force. Funded by theBureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.[19]
- 2012 NORC Presidential Election Study, September–November 2012: Nonpartisan study of public opinion on candidate favorability, perception of the economy, issue knowledge, and healthcare before and after the presidential election.[24] Funded by NORC at the University of Chicago.
- Making Connections Survey (MCS), 2002–2011: Neighborhood-based, longitudinal and cross-sectional surveying residents in ten low-income communities across the United States. It serves as an evaluation of a larger AECF-supported initiative and was designed to collect data measuring how neighborhood change affects the well-being of children. The final survey dataset includes responses from roughly 28,000 interviews at three points in time. Funded by theAnnie E. Casey Foundation.
- National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN), 2002–2010: The primary goals of this survey are to assess the prevalence and impact of special health care needs among children in the U.S., and to evaluate change over time. Funded by theMaternal and Child Health Bureau,Health Resources & Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Florida Ballot Project, February–May 2001: Re-examined the approximately 180,000 uncounted ballots in the2000 U.S. Presidential Election. Funded by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Tribune Company, Palm Beach Post, St. Petersburg Times, and Associated Press.[8] NORC was featured in the 2003 documentary filmOrwell Rolls in His Grave.
- Sonic Boom Tests Reactions, 1961–1962: Public opinion measurement for the infamoussonic boom tests over Oklahoma City, which were intended to measure the impact ofsupersonic transports (SSTs) over populated areas. Funded byNASA.[10][11][12]
Services
- AmeriSpeak, October 2014–present: A representative cross-section of U.S households for the scientific study of public opinion. AmeriSpeak panelists take part in online and telephone surveys regarding current events, social and political trends, health care, government policies and programs, and consumer products and trends. Funded by NORC at the University of Chicago.
- AmplifyAAPI, 2023–present: NORC’s first representative survey panel focusing onAsian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. It is funded by NORC with support fromAARP and initial funders includeThe Rockefeller Foundation.
Controversies
In October 2023,United States Department of Labor and NORC reached a conciliation agreement to resolve alleged hiring discrimination against Asian applicants for positions as coronavirus contact tracers between May 2020 to August 2021. NORC agreed to pay $95,000 in back wages and interest to 107 Asian applicants and also review its hiring policies, procedures, and trainings so they are free from discrimination in accordance toExecutive Order 11246.[25]
References
- ^"NORC and the University of Chicago".NORC.org. RetrievedDecember 12, 2018.
- ^"1941 NORC: the Beginning".NORC. Archived fromthe original on February 7, 2022. RetrievedApril 24, 2022.
- ^"Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms"(PDF).American Bar Association. 2005. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2023.
- ^"Gates Millennium Scholars Tracking and Longitudinal Study: YEAR 1 FINAL REPORT"(PDF).Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. October 2003. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^"Washington State Achievers Program: Five Years of Changing Lives". Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. May 23, 2006. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ab"NCHS Home > Surveys and Data Collection Systems > National Immunization Survey: Welcome Survey Participant".Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^"Information about the National Flu Survey"(PDF). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RetrievedAugust 15, 2011.
- ^abcdeFessenden, Ford (November 12, 2001)."How the Consortium of News Organizations Conducted the Ballot Review".New York Times. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^ab"Economic Research & Data > Survey of Consumer Finances: Working Papers".Federal Reserve Board. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^ab"Community reactions to sonic booms"(PDF).NASA. August 1962. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^ab"Effects of sonic boom on people - St. Louis, Missouri, 1961-1962". NASA. May 1, 1966. Archived fromthe original on September 19, 2015. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^ab"EFFECTS OF SONIC BOOM ON PEOPLE: ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, 1961-1962".Defense Technical Information Center. May 1, 1966. Archived fromthe original on April 8, 2013. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^"2010 CENSUS PLANNING MEMORANDA SERIES: 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program (ICP) Evaluation Report"(PDF).U.S. Census Bureau. March 15, 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on May 24, 2012. RetrievedAugust 14, 2011.
- ^"MARINES PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SURVEY PARTICIPATION".U.S. Department of Defense. November 1, 2000. Archived fromthe original on March 2, 2010. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^"Digest of Education Statistics: 2011: Appendix A.4. National Science Foundation - Survey of Earned Doctorates".U.S. Department of Education. 2011. RetrievedAugust 14, 2011.
- ^"Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey Briefing"(PDF).U.S. Department of Energy. April 15, 2008. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^Fessenden, Ford (May 16, 2012)."NCHS Home > Surveys and Data Collection Systems > State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey: National Survey of Children's Health". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^"OPRE Home > Child Care Policy Research Grantees: National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE)".U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. RetrievedAugust 15, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ab"A Guide to the 1979–2000 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Data"(PDF).Bureau of Labor Statistics. December 2001. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^Hughes, Sarah (January 15, 2008)."Survey Data Collection for Impact Evaluation"(PDF).World Bank. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^"AP VoteCast | NORC.org".www.norc.org. RetrievedNovember 9, 2018.
- ^Zitner, Aaron (November 6, 2018)."Poll Uses Novel Method to Learn Who Voted and Why".Wall Street Journal.ISSN 0099-9660. RetrievedDecember 12, 2018.
- ^"The General Social Survey (GSS) The Next Decade and Beyond: An Overview of the General Social Survey"(PDF).National Science Foundation. May 2007. RetrievedAugust 13, 2011.
- ^"Home > Our Research > Projects > 2012 NORC Presidential Election Study". NORC at the University of Chicago. 2012. RetrievedMarch 18, 2013.
- ^"US Department of Labor resolves alleged hiring discrimination found in routine evaluation of National Opinion Research Center hiring practices".United States Department of LaborOffice of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. October 2, 2023. RetrievedOctober 7, 2023.
External links
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- Organizations established in 1941
- University of Chicago
- Non-profit organizations based in Chicago
- Public opinion research companies in the United States
- 1941 establishments in Illinois
- Research institutes of the University of Chicago
- Academic and educational organizations in Chicago