National Opinion Research Center

The National Opinion Research Center (NORC), established in 1941, is one of the largest and most highly respected social research organizations in the United States. Its headquarters are located on the University of Chicago campus, at 1155 E. 60th Street, Chicago. It also has offices in Chicago’s downtown Loop, and in Washington DC, and San Francisco.

Research focus
NORC conducts numerous research projects involving opinion survey and other data collection and technology strategies. NORC’s projects are focused in a number of topical areas: society and culture; economics and population; education and child development; health studies; substance abuse; mental health; criminal justice; statistics and methodology; and technology. Within each area, NORC designs and implements surveys and other data collection strategies, conducts advanced statistical and other analysis, provides technical assistance, and applies advanced technologies.

Known surveys
NORC conducts social research for government agencies, non-profit agencies and corporations. NORC is best known for its large, national surveys, including the General Social Survey, the Survey of Consumer Finances, and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, but it also conducts qualitative and quantitative analyses and international projects.

General Social Survey

The General Social Survey is one of NORC's most important surveys. It started in 1972 and monitors social change and the complexity of American society. It is funded by the Sociology Program of the National Science Foundation. After the U.S. Census it is the second most frequently analyzed source of information for the social sciences in the United States.

Survey of Consumer Finances

The Survey of Consumer Finance is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Board. It collects information about household financial characteristics and behavior. In the United States it is thought to be the best source of information about family finances. There are about 4500 subjects who participate in the survey.

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth is funded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It covers questions about economic, social, and academic experiences of the subjects. The survey researches also issues related to youth entry into the work force.

Florida Ballots Project

Re-examined the approximately 180,000 uncounted ballots in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election.

Clients
The clients of NORC include the American Bar Association, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNN, the Department of Defense, the Federal Reserve Board, NASA, the New York Times, the US Department of Energy, the US Department of Labor, the Wall Street Journal, and the World Bank.