Contents
US Polls and Polling Data ~ International Polls ~ Social Surveys
For print sources, see Polling and Public Opinion: A Research Guide, compiled by Michael Engle.
US Public Opinion and Polling Data Online
- Pew Research Center"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research." [About Pew Research Center]
- Gallup.ComGallup.com provides articles that summarize the results of recent, selected polling data. Includes some international polling.
The full reports are available by "subscribing" (filling out a request form). See also: Gallup Analytics, below. - Gallup AnalyticsAllows users to access Gallup's U.S. Daily tracking, World Poll, and Gallup Social Series data to compare residents' responses region by region and nation by nation to questions on topics such as economic conditions, government and business, health and wellbeing, infrastructure, and education.
- Roper Center @ CornellDatasets from opinion polls conducted around the world. and iPoll, below, an online database of public opinion, organized at the question-level, from a wide variety of polling organizations.
- Roper Center -- iPollA full-text retrieval system, the iPOLL online database is organized at the question level, providing the tools to sift through nearly a half million questions asked on national public opinion surveys since 1935 and updated daily.
- Exit Poll datasetsRoper Center Polling Data > US Elections
Exit polling data is collected by Edison Research, a market research and polling firm and purchased by major news networks for their forecasts. The Roper Center’s collection holds all U.S. major media exit polls dating back to the first in 1972, spearheaded by innovator Warren Mitofsky, as well as thousands of datasets from major pre- and post-election polls in the U.S.
See also:
Exit Polls: Surveying the American Electorate,1927-2010. Washington, DC: SAGE Publications Ltd. 2012
Authors Samuel J. Best and Brian S. Krueger - both election commentators for CBS news and statistical experts - present more than 100 tables and 100 figures showing the changes in the electorate and its voting patterns over time. - Louis Harris Data Center (Dataverse)"Since 1965, the Odum Institute has operated the Louis Harris Data Center, the national depository for publicly available survey data collected by Louis Harris and Associates, Inc. More than 1,000 Harris polls from as early as 1958 are archived at the Center and contain over 160,000 questions asked of more than 1,200,000 respondents. Respondent groups range from national cross-section samples to such special populations as Vietnam veterans, Hispanics, teenagers, and the elderly. The surveys also cover a diverse range of topics, such as aging, environmental issues, leisure and the arts, business, foreign affairs, presidential ratings, health care, attitudes toward government, and crime. Many questions have been repeated over time, allowing researchers to track changes in opinions and attitudes."
International Polling Data
- Pew Global Indicators databaseNote: The data is drawn from some of the data in the Pew Global Values Survey.
Select the "Custom Analysis" tab.
U.S. Image: Opinion of the United States, Confidence in the U.S. President , Drone Strikes, U.S. Personal Freedoms ~ World Economy: Satisfaction with National Conditions, Country's Economic Situation, Views on Trade, Future Economic Situation ~ China Image: Opinion of China, Views of Chinese President, China's Growing Economy, China Personal Freedoms ~ Balance of Power: World's Leading Economic Power, World's Leading Superpower ~ Rating Countries: Opinion of Iran, Opinion of Russia, Opinion of Brazil.
Note: Not every country is surveyed every year. - Polling the NationsSilver Spring, MD: ORS.
Polls taken on a variety of subjects all over the world from 1986 to the present. Each record in the database consists of one poll question and the participants' responses. Records are indexed in one of more than 5,000 topics and six search fields: subject matter, question text, universe, date, polling organization and response categories. Other information provided includes: source name and contact information, sample size, and notes on the sample population. Partially supersedes American Public Opinion Index and American Public Opinion Data [microfiche]. - Roper Center -- DatasetsDatasets from 100+ countries. Datasets can be downloaded in STATA, SPSS, CSV and ASCII formats.
- World Public Opinion PollReports that summarize opinion data. In partnership with the International Institutions and Global Governance program at the Council on Foreign Relations, WorldOpinion.org consolidates global and U.S. public opinion covering ten major issue areas: elements of world order, international institutions, violent conflict, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, climate change, energy security, the global economy, economic development, and human rights.
Social Surveys
- General Social Survey (United States)"The General Social Survey (GSS) is a nationally representative survey of adults in the United States conducted since 1972. The GSS collects data on contemporary American society in order to monitor and explain trends in opinions, attitudes and behaviors. The GSS has adapted questions from earlier surveys, thereby allowing researchers to conduct comparisons for up to 80 years." [About the GSS] Download to explore with statistical analysis software (SPSS, STATA, SAS), use the online data explorer., or view reports based on the survey in Key Trends.
- AfrobarometerNote: Works best in Google Chrome
Offers reports summarizing the survey results and an online analysis tool. Select the round (currently, 1-5),
Select a variable. This opens the analysis tool.
Choose a variable to cross-tabulate,
Select additional variables, as needed. - East Asia Barometer2 waves -- 2001-2003, 2005-2008.
Select the study,
Select a a single country or multiple countries,
Select a question (variable) by clicking on the link (for example, gender of respondent). This opens up the online analysis tool,
Select Cross-tabs,
Use the arrows to page through the different variables that can be analyzed. - AmericasBarometerLatin America Public Opinion Project
Requires the use of data analysis software (Stata or SPSS) and some understanding of statistical analysis methods.
Datasets of surveys of democratic public opinion and behavior in the Americas using national probability samples of voting-age adults. Note: You can find some prepared reports under the Spotlights series. - European Commission Public OpinionOffers data sets for analysis. Also offers prepared reports and fact sheets based on the survey results. To find the prepared reports, go to the "Standard Eurobarometer" page and scroll down under "Attachments."
- European Social Survey -- Online Analysis ToolThe ESS Data Download Wizard gives access to cumulative data from countries that have been included in the integrated ESS files in two or more rounds, and all variables from questions that have been asked in more than one round. Note: You must register to use the the wizard.
- International Social SurveyDifferent topics covered each year, but hasn't been updated in some years. It may still provide an interesting point-in-time understanding:
- 2007 - Leisure Time and Sports
- 2005 - Work Orientations III
- 2004 - Citizenship
- 2003 - National Identity II
- 2002 - Family III
- 2001 - Social networks II
- 2000 - Environment II
- 1999 - Social Inequality III
- 1998 - Religion II
Select a question (variable) by clicking on the link (for example, gender of respondent). This opens up the online analysis tool.
--Select Cross-tabs.
--Use the arrows to page through the different variables that can be analyzed. - World Values SurveyBeginning in 1981, conducted in successive waves.
A.- Perceptions of life
B.- Environment
C.- Work
D.- Family
E.- Politics and Society
F.- Religion and Morale
G.- National Identity
S.- Structure of the file
X.- Socio-demographics
Y.- Special Indexes
Search tips: On the left-hand menu, select Online Data Analysis. "You may browse the variable index and see question texts, frequencies for each answer, crosstabs of each question by country or any other variable, and even graphics."
You can also check under Findings & Insights for summaries of some of the findings.
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Lynn Thitchener
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Lynn Thitchener
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subjects: Data & Statistics, Government & Public Policy