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ISR is the world’s largest academic social science survey and research organization. We are a leader in developing and applying new social science methods, and are committed to educating the next generation of social scientists.
Who we are
ISR is composed of five research centers and an administrative support unit, the Center for Institute Services. Find out more about these Centers and their activities on their websites:
- Center for Political Studies
- Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
- Population Studies Center
- Research Center for Group Dynamics
- Survey Research Center
What we do
ISR conducts some of the most widely cited and influential surveys in the world.
- Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers measures consumer sentiment and economic expectations on a monthly basis since 1946
- American National Election Studies explores the causes and consequences of voting behavior and electoral outcomes since 1948
- Columbia County Study analyzes the factors linked to childhood and adult aggression
- Health and Retirement Study surveys a nationally representative sample of 22,000 Americans age 50 and over every two years
- Monitoring the Future Study surveys 50,000 American youth on their use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs
- National Survey of American Life examines a nationally representative sample of Black Americans, including Afro-Caribbeans
- Panel Study of Income Dynamics studies the household structure and economic status of U.S. families over lifetimes and across generations
- World Values Surveys assess global value changes in almost 80 societies around the world on all six inhabited continents
We also:
- Develop and test survey methods
- Conduct experimental studies
- Operate the world’s largest digital archive of social science data
- Train researchers and students from around the world in survey methods and research techniques