Twentieth Annual Arkansas Poll: Call for Questions

The Arkansas Poll team of the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society is pleased to invite proposals for questions to be included on the 20th annual Arkansas Poll. Each year, the research team allocates space for one or more collaborative partners to add items — free of charge — to our survey protocol. Conductors of the poll are especially interested in proposals from new faculty and/or those with policy-related research interests.

More about the ArkPoll: The Arkansas Poll is the state's only wholly-public opinion project. It also has become one of the most respected state polling projects in the country, receiving, for example, multiple nods for its accuracy from fivethirtyeight.com. By collecting, analyzing, and disseminating accurate, impartial, and timely public opinion data about politics and policy, the Arkansas Poll simultaneously serves the teaching, research, and service components of the university's mission.

More about the proposal process: Many departments at the University of Arkansas are involved in important projects with public policy applications. Scholars from all disciplines — potential "collaborative partners" — are thus invited to propose policy-related questions for inclusion on the Arkansas Poll. Proposals from any member of the faculty (as well as well-qualified students) are encouraged and will be evaluated by the director according to the following criteria:

1. The research project is likely to result in a publishable product that brings credit to the proposing researcher, to the Arkansas Poll, and to the University of Arkansas.
2. The research project will advance the research agenda of a tenure-track scholar, or someone otherwise trying to "get established."
3. The research project facilitates the Arkansas Poll's dual mission of service and research.
4. The research project is appropriate to the space available on the poll.

Proposals should be submitted by Aug. 20.

They should be no more than 3 pages in length, and should address the general objectives and significance of the research project. Proposing scholars should include drafted questions (with response categories) and note potential publication outlets. We work with collaborators to blend the needs of their projects with ours, and to help them meet social scientific standards in survey design. 

In accepting space on the Arkansas Poll, collaborative partners agree to credit the Arkansas Poll and the Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society which supports the poll in all subsequent analysis, presentation, publications, etc. and to forward copies and full citations of all scholarly publications to the poll director (see below). Collaborative partners are encouraged to consider poll space an "in-kind" grant worth approximately $500 per question. Please note, too, that each ArkPoll dataset is considered to be in the public domain; there are no exclusive rights to the data or simple descriptive analysis after the poll's public release.

Inquiries should be addressed to Janine A. Parry, professor and Arkansas Poll director, Department of Political Science, 428 Old Main, parry@uark.edu, 479-575-3356 or 479-409-0968.