National Opinion Research Center

NORC at the University of Chicago, established in 1941 as the National Opinion Research Center, is one of the largest and most highly respected social research organizations in the United States. Its corporate headquarters are located on the University of Chicago campus. It also has offices in Chicago’s downtown Loop and Washington DC.

Research focus

NORC conducts numerous research projects involving opinion survey and other data collection and technology strategies. NORC’s projects are focused in a number of topical areas: society and culture; economics and population; education and child development; health studies; substance abuse; mental health; criminal justice; statistics and methodology; and technology. Within each area, NORC designs and implements surveys and other data collection strategies, conducts advanced statistical and other analysis, provides technical assistance and applies advanced technologies.

Known surveys

NORC conducts social research for government agencies, non-profit agencies and corporations. Data from these surveys is also frequently analyzed in a wide range of social sciences, especially sociology. NORC is best known for its large, national surveys, including the General Social Survey, the Survey of Consumer Finances, and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, but it also conducts qualitative and quantitative analyses and international projects.

• Florida Ballot Project

The Florida Ballot Project re-examined the approximately 180,000 uncounted ballots in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election.[1] NORC was featured in the 2003 documentary film Orwell Rolls in His Grave.

• General Social Survey

The General Social Survey (GSS) is one of NORC's most important surveys. It started in 1972 and monitors social change and the complexity of American society. This survey plays an important role in American sociology. It is funded by the Sociology Program of the National Science Foundation. After the U.S. Census, it is the second most frequently analyzed source of information for the social sciences in the United States.

• Making Connections Survey

The Making Connections Survey (MCS) is a neighborhood-based, longitudinal and cross-sectional survey funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF). 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 MCS was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago between 2002 and 2011 with residents in ten low-income communities across the United States. The final survey dataset includes responses from ruoghly 28,000 interviews at three points in time.

• National Immunization Survey

• National Longitudinal Survey of Youth

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth is funded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It covers questions about economic, social, and academic experiences of the subjects. The survey researches also issues related to youth entry into the work force.

• National Survey of Children's Health

• National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs

• Oklahoma City Sonic Boom Tests

In 1964, NORC conducted public opinion measurement for the infamous sonic boom tests over Oklahoma City, which were intended to measure the impact of supersonic transports (SSTs) over populated areas. The unfavorable results of these tests were partially responsible for the abandonment of the US SST program.

• Survey of Consumer Finances

The Survey of Consumer Finances is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Board. It 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.

Clients

The clients of NORC include the American Bar Association, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CNN, the Federal Reserve Board, NASA, The New York Times, Department of Defense, US Department of Energy, US Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Labor, The Wall Street Journal, and the World Bank.

External links

• Official NORC web site

Coordinates: 41°47′09″N 87°35′50″W / 41.7858°N 87.5973°W / 41.7858; -87.5973

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