Center for Opinion Research
Our Work
The Center for Opinion Research has a reputation for insightful data analysis, reliability, and outstanding accuracy, and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost survey research organizations.
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The Franklin & Marshall College Poll
Started in 1992, the Franklin & Marshall College Poll is the longest running statewide poll exclusively directed and produced in Pennsylvania. The poll is a primary source of information for those involved in government, media, and public policy in Pennsylvania.
Center for Politics and Public Affairs
We work in tandem with the Center for Politics and Public Affairs.Located within Franklin & Marshall College, the Center for Politics and Public Affairs (CPPA) fosters the practice of democracy through the study of politics and public policy.
Projects and Publications
The Center’s research expertise covers a wide range of topics and methodologies. We regularly conduct program evaluations, public policy research, community needs assessments, and marketing and consumer satisfaction surveys. Our team uses a variety of research methods, including surveys, focus groups, depth interviews, and statistical analysis. Over the years, we have developed a number of sophisticated data-sharing and reporting tools, including interactive online databases and geographic information system (GIS) mapping.
In addition to conducting research on behalf of clients, we also pursue scholarly research, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, public policy, voting behavior, and the methodologies and mechanisms of survey research itself. Our principles have been conducting this research for more than 20 years, and that contextual knowledge provides tremendous value in designing research and interpreting findings.
In the News
The Center's work on politics, public policy, and healthcare is often featured in the news. Poll results have appeared in media outlets like USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, National Public Radio, and CNN, to name a few.
Our Services
Our philosophy is to design and conduct studies that are customized to the needs of each individual client. Our project managers have extensive experience helping organizations evaluate needs, define research goals, and design effective research strategies. We provide survey research, qualitative research, data entry and verification, transcription, and statistical analysis and reporting services.
Whether your project is large or small, whether you need us to design and conduct research from beginning to end, or whether you simply need help analyzing existing data, we have the expertise to help you meet your goals.
Our Staff
Berwood Yost, Director, has substantial applied experience designing and implementing public opinion research using both qualitative and quantitative methods. He has been the director of the Center for Opinion Research since 2003, when the Center moved to Franklin & Marshall College from Millersville University. Over the last 20 years, Mr. Yost has conducted funded research on behalf of government, business, nonprofit organizations, higher education, and the media. His clients have included major private and public organizations and institutions in the fields of health, education, public policy, and business. He has published nearly two dozen articles in refereed scholarly journals and has also made numerous conference presentations based on the results and analysis of survey research he has designed and administered. His scholarly research has appeared in Addictive Behaviors, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, Commonwealth, Criminology and Public Policy, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, Tobacco Control, andWomen’s Health Issues. His work has also appeared in The Polling Report, Public Opinion Pros, and Survey Research, which are published for the professional survey research community. The results of Mr. Yost’s research have also appeared in major newspapers, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Philadelphia Daily News, to name a few.
Mr. Yost is the director and cheif methodologist for the Franklin & Marshall College Poll, which tracks public attitudes toward public policy issues and political campaigns. It has become the state’s most respected pre-election survey because of its accuracy in forecasting election outcomes. He also regularly teaches courses on research methods at F&M; recently, he was a member of the team that created and taught a highly praised multidisciplinary course called Public Health Research: Pregnancy Outcomes in American Women, which was based on his groundbreaking research into reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes among Amish women in Lancaster County. Prior to assuming his present post, Mr. Yost was the Director of the Center for Opinion Research at Millersville University, where he also taught courses in public policy and research methods.
Kelly Frey, Senior Project Manager, joined the Center in 2006 and currently oversees the Center's program evaluation and survey research projects for area school districts, community organizations, and health systems. She has particular expertise in the evaluation of grant-funded programs, and has designed and conducted both quantitative and qualitative research projects. Prior to 2006, Ms. Frey worked as a program coordinator and counselor providing behavioral health and educational services to teens and families. She has contributed to research published in Pennsylvania Educational Leadership. Ms. Frey holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology from Millersville University.
Scottie Thompson Buckland, Project and Data Specialist, started at the Center in 2011 and is currently the Project and Data Specialist. In this position, Ms. Thompson Buckland’s responsibilities include gathering and analyzing statistical data, conducting literature reviews, researching material for both scholarly research and survey research projects; survey instrument design and reporting; supervising and managing undergraduate student interns; conducting research in biology and psychology lab settings; ArcGIS data mapping; website development, and web content management. She has published numerous articles in refereed scholarly journals and has made many national and international conference presentations. Her scholarly research has appeared in Journal of Human Rights, Commonwealth, Journal of Community Health, American Thoracic Society, and Journal of Community Health Nursing. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Delaware.
Stacy Gillespie, Data Collection Manager, came to the Center in August 2010. Ms. Gillispie is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operations of the Center's call center, including scheduling, staffing, and data quality control. She develops and delivers training, monitors interviewer performance, and designs best practices for the call center staff to ensure efficient project completion. She has previous experience as a work force analyst, specializing in trending analysis to improve the functionality and productivity of a contact center. Ms. Gillespie holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Millersville University.
Michelle Zhang, Database Developer and Programmer, began working at the Center in August 2011. She has an extensive background in software engineering, and has created applications that support information systems, survey research projects, and manufacturing activities. She has also developed and maintained complex databases and provided IT support for businesses. At the Center, Ms. Zhang builds databases for research projects, as well as web- and windows-based internal applications that support those projects. She also develops and maintains the SQL report generators for all research, including CATI-based surveys. In addition, she provides support to Franklin & Marshall’s GIS Lab. Ms. Zhang holds a B.S. in Business Information Systems and an M.S. in Management of Information Systems, both from Utah State University.
Julia Haigh, Office Administrator, came to the Center as an interviewer in 2003, and quickly became one of the team of senior interviewers. She has also served as a member of our research support staff, managing data entry, interviewing, and special assignments. As office administrator, Ms. Haigh is responsible for the day-to-day human resources and business needs of the Center. She holds a B.A. from Millersville University, and has also worked in publishing as both an editor and copy editor.
Questionnaire and Sample Design
We use the following sampling and screening methods, employing the ones that will best meet the survey's goals:
- Random digit dialing, a method used by survey researchers for many years. A computer program generates a list of telephone numbers from known area codes and prefixes. Random digit dialing has proven to be an extremely reliable sampling methodology.
- Address-based sampling, a method that produces a random sample of households in the area to be surveyed
- List sampling, a method whereby you provide us with a specific list of names to survey.
- Second-stage sampling, or a technique that greatly enhances the validity of survey data. For telephone surveys, further screening techniques — or second stage sampling methodologies — are used to eliminate biases that might arise from simply interviewing the person who answers the telephone.
Data Collection
As with questionnaire design and sampling, the method used for collecting data is driven by your research goals and budget. Our project managers and interviewers are experienced in a variety of scientifically valid data-collection techniques, including:
- Telephone interviews
- In-Person interviews
- Depth interviews, or individual interviews conducted with a small number of participants, either in-person or on the phone
- Web surveys
- Mail surveys
We also assist organizations who wish to self-administer a survey.
Focus Groups
Program and Grant Evaluation
A program and grant evaluation will help determine whether services are deployed well and are doing what they are intended to do, and whether there are any gaps in services. A data-driven program evaluation is particularly useful for informing grantors and funding agencies that their money is being well spent. Generally, there are three different kinds of program evaluations that we consider when developing an evaluation plan for your organization:
- Needs evaluations, conducted prior to a program being funded or implemented, which identify and measure unmet needs within an organization or community.
- Process evaluations, which document how a program has been delivered, who is being served, and whether a program is operating as expected.
- Impact evaluations, which determine the direct effects of a program on users. They determine whether a program has achieved its goals and produced desired changes.
Data Analysis, Reports and Presentations
Education and Outreach
We take pride in fostering a close relationship with F&M and the surrounding Lancaster community. We often offer opportunities for students to get hands-on experience in survey research and for Lancaster organizations to work with us — a local team — to reach their goals.
Classes and Seminars
Our director, Berwood Yost, regularly teaches F&M courses on survey research methodology and public policy. He also teaches a highly praised course called “Public Health Research: Pregnancy Outcomes in American Women.” Through the lenses of biology, economics, American studies, and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, the course explores our research into pregnancy outcomes among Amish women in Lancaster County.
Student Opportunities
F&M students can participate in our work in a variety of ways. Student interns assist with data analysis, reporting, and other projects. They also regularly participate in our surveys and focus groups seeking information about student life, career possibilities, drug and alcohol use on campus, and other issues. We have also employed students as both telephone interviewers and call center supervisors. We most often work with students studying government, public health, and public policy.
Lancaster Community Involvement
Our research has helped many different groups work toward positive change and growth in areas such as crime reduction, community services, recreation, community health, the arts, education, and local government. We have worked extensively with many organizations, including the Lancaster City Police, the Lancaster Community Safety Coalition, the School District of Lancaster, Lancaster General Hospital, the East King Street Improvement District, the Lancaster Alliance, LancasterARTS, Lancaster Family YMCA, and the North Museum.
Standards and Ethics
The Center for Opinion Research adheres to the standards and ethics for the best practices of our profession as expressed in the American Association of Public Opinion Research Code of Professional Ethics and Practice (AAPOR). We guarantee the highest standards of scientific integrity in conducting research, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting results. Further, our ethics demand open and honest relationships with both our clients and the general public. We will refuse any project or research that would require us to violate our standards in any way.
View the AAPOR Code of Professional Ethics and Practices
Contact Us
Operating Hours
Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sunday: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Mailing Address
Center for Opinion Research
Floyd Institute for Public Policy
Franklin & Marshall College
P.O. Box 3003
Lancaster, PA 17604
Phone/Fax
(717) 358-4401 (Office Administrator/General Information)
(866) 366-7655 (Toll-Free Call Center)
(717) 358-4632 (Local Call Center)
(717) 358-4666 (Fax)
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The Latest News
October 24, 2024
F&M Poll: Among Likely Voters, Trump and Harris Virtually Tied
With fewer than two weeks before the Nov. 5 election, Republican Donald Trump and Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are virtually tied, 50% to 49%, in Pennsylvania.
September 19, 2024
F&M Poll: Harris Leads Trump Among Independent, Moderate PA Voters
While Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris maintains her three-point lead in Pennsylvania over Republican Donald Trump, she also has the advantage among registered independent and moderate voters.
August 15, 2024
F&M Poll: Harris Leads Trump in Pennsylvania
Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, 46% to 43%, according to the latest Franklin & Marshall College Poll.