IRI believes that a well informed citizenry is paramount to democratic reform.  Qualitative and quantitative research are pivotal to modern societies, and demystifying the process of research to ensure broader use and increased public trust in the results is a key goal of IRI’s public survey research.

Public opinion research is a crucial instrument in IRI’s efforts to make political parties more responsive to voters, assist elected officials at all levels of government in improving their service to citizens, and foster greater participation by under-represented groups and by citizens generally in the political process.  

IRI sponsors public opinion research in many of the countries where it works.  Depending on the circumstances in a specific country, IRI uses a variety of public opinion methods.  These methods include public opinion polls (quantitative research), focus groups (qualitative research), and occasionally, more specialized techniques such as exit polling, oversampling, panels and tracking polls.

Polling is an excellent means of determining public opinion.  The safety of aggregate, anonymous data via public opinion research will provide a legitimate means by which people can voice their thoughts and opinions, and by which they can hold their leaders accountable to the priorities and interests of constituents.

Comprehensive nonpartisan public opinion research is the most effective method of determining the concerns and needs of voters.  When done correctly, public opinion research plays an essential role in determining the success and failure of government, opposition and party communication with constituents.  It is the only proven method of determining the level of public understanding of the roles and powers of institutions and newly-implemented legislation.  

In its programs involving public opinion research, IRI complies with professional standards in the industry.  Before beginning a public opinion research project, IRI will assess the capacity in country and frequently will employ an outside expert to serve as a consultant on polling projects. IRI’s consultants oversee all parts of the research process, including selecting a local firm, assisting in designing a questionnaire or focus group scenario, checking that the research complies with international standards and helping to interpret the results or findings.

All polls are essentially snapshots in time and while IRI has high standards and exercises careful oversight over its public opinion research, opinions are continually evolving and developing.

IRI’s public opinion polls are not focused on the “horse race” issues of which candidate or party is leading.  Nor are IRI’s public opinion polls designed to produce a specific outcome.  Rather, opinion research is used as an integral component of the institute’s broader programs – for example, helping partners to better understand public sentiment, develop plans to contact citizens, and prepare strategies for campaigns.  Much time is spent on analyzing cross tabulations from the poll, so that IRI’s partners understand the demographic factors behind public opinion.

To ensure that the institutional capacity for public opinion research is built within a country, IRI works with local polling firms on how to conduct polls that meet industry accepted standards.  IRI brings together statistical experts and political pollsters to apply best practices in public opinion survey sample selection, frame design, variance, weighting, focus group research and political party research design.

Because IRI’s public opinion research is done to help strengthen political and civic institutions, such as political parties and nongovernmental organizations, IRI does not always make public the results of its polls and focus groups.  IRI follows industry standards for minimum disclosure.