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Shawn
Marie Pelak The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) has archived and distributed public opinion poll data for over three decades. ICPSR holdings include over 800 data collections focusing on public opinion, including monthly and special topic polls conducted by major media organizations, as well as primary and general election exit polls. While these data rate among the most requested by the research community, they simultaneously remain among the least used. ICPSR efforts to understand this under-utilization have resulted in attempts to obtain and distribute the files more quickly, to standardize file formats and metadata, and to simplify data download procedures through ICPSR Direct. This paper will address the ICPSR experience with public opinion poll data. Topics covered include past and current procedures for archiving and distributing the data; challenges present due to the varied quality and format of the data and documentation received; including the increased use of Web-based survey methods; and efforts to increase utilization by incorporating public opinion poll data into an online analysis system and promoting their use in the classroom. Shawn Marie Pelak |