The Floyd Institute's Center For Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College provides research services, technical assistance and training to government agencies, private corporations, professional associations, the media and other organizations. The Center is a resource for those seeking objective information about the major issues and problems facing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its citizens.
The Center draws upon the enormous capabilities of Franklin & Marshall College and the recognized expertise of its faculty in providing its research services. The Center offers a full range of primary data collection services, including mail and telephone surveys, focus groups and depth-interviews. Assistance in computer programming and statistical analysis, guidance in project and questionnaire design, and other similar types of technical assistance are also available. The Center also offers training for those interested in gaining an understanding of survey research methods. In addition, the Center maintains a field staff of more than 75 trained, experienced interviews.
The Floyd Institute's Center For Opinion Research has established a record of accuracy and reliability matched by few survey research organizations. Throughout recent elections, the Center's pre-election surveys have provided accurate representations of the attitudes and behavior of Pennsylvania's electorate-quite an accomplishment considering the dynamics faced by election pollsters.
The information produced by the Center is recognized as a valuable source of information by those involved in public policy, state government and the media. In addition to publication in scholarly journals, results from the Center's polls have appeared in such newspapers as USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Daily News. Public officials have used the Center's polls to argue for important public policy changes. For example, Governor Casey used the results of a Center survey to introduce his plan for controlling military-style assault weapons, and the IMPACCT Commission established by Governor Ridge and the General Assembly used the Center to inform its members of citizens' attitudes toward state government.
