Survey Research Center
123 Hotz Hall
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-575-4222
Projects
Current Projects
The Arkansas Poll
This state-wide political poll has been conducted annually by the University of Arkansas' Political Science Department and the Survey Research Center since 1999. Sponsored by the Diane D. Blair Center for Southern Politics and Society, The Arkansas Poll solicits the opinions of Arkansans about important issues in their state. In the 10 years of conducting the poll, Arkansans have shared their opinions about their political preferences and such issues as water quality, education, amendments to the State Constitution, and gun control. Respondents are selected using random-digit dialing and random selection within the household so as to gain an accurate understanding of the opinions of Arkansas citizens.
The Political Science Department posts the results of the Arkansas Poll at the following web address: http://new-www3.uark.edu/ARKPoll/.
Past Projects
The Survey of Water Quality and Regulation: Attitudes and Opinions of Beaver Water District Residents
This survey was sponsored by the Beaver Lake Scientific Workgroup, with financial support from the Walton Family Foundation, Inc. The survey was conducted to learn from both residential and business users of water from Beaver Lake their attitudes, knowledge and opinions about water quality and how to protect it. The survey was conducted via telephone in September and October of 2008 with 405 households and 101 businesses in the Beaver Water District in Northwest Arkansas. The link below contains the final technical report of the findings of the survey.
Illinois River Watershed Survey
In the summer of 2006, the Survey Research Center interviewed residents of 18 cities found in the Illinois River Watershed and 6 cities in Conway County. This survey gave citizens the chance to express their opinions about the quality of water in the Illinois River or the Arkansas River and asked citizens questions about water and water pollution to help learn what topics may need more focus in the future. This research is an important tool in determining where future educational and ecological programs will focus to help improve the quality of the water in the Illinois River. A follow-up survey will be conducted in 2007.
This survey was sponsored by the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, a non-profit organization that includes representatives from city and county governments, businesses, agriculture and conservation organizations, and local citizens and landowners in the Illinois River Watershed. Their objective is to increase public awareness of the Illinois River and the contributions citizens can make to the river; to cooperate with the scientific community to identify water-quality impacts, causes and sources; to identify environmentally viable and economically feasible practices and to work to implement water-quality improvement and watershed restoration projects.
For more information about the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, or to find out how to join the partnership, email the partnership secretary Karen McSpadden at karenmcspadden@cox.net.
Survey of Faculty and Students on Classroom Civility
The Survey Research Center conducted a survey of faculty and students on the subject of civility in classrooms for the Office of Student Mediation & Conflict Resolution, a division of Student Affairs at the University of Arkansas. The survey was conducted via the Web between April 26 and June 12, 2006 with all teaching faculty, including instructors, and a random sample of students. Approximately 29 percent of the surveyed students and 51 percent of the teaching faculty at the U of A completed the survey. The feedback provides information that UA faculty can employ to maintain and continually improve the quality of education they offer students.
A copy of the report is available here.
The Northwest Arkansas Omnibus Survey
Researchers at the Survey Research Center of the University of Arkansas began reaching out to Northwest Arkansans in May as part of the second Northwest Arkansas Omnibus Survey. The information gained through the Survey will be used to shape public policy and informational programs in Northwest Arkansas. The topics covered in the Survey are important to the entire Northwest Arkansas community – individuals and families alike.
The Northwest Arkansas Omnibus Survey is an avenue by which a number of academic, non-profit and governmental organizations can gather information. Questions, which are offered in both English and Spanish, cover a variety of subjects from community colleges to water quality to how people are preparing for natural disasters.
The Omnibus Survey uses random digit dialing to contact a wide sample of Northwest Arkansans for feedback. This sample was selected from residents of Washington, Benton, Madison and Carroll counties. In total, the Omnibus Survey connected with more than 600 people so that findings are accurate within a range of 4 percentage points. The goal of the Northwest Arkansas Omnibus Survey is to learn more about a variety of topics and how they affect the state. Northwest Arkansans, in experiencing rapid growth, need a voice for their opinions related to important issues.
Data from the surveys are collected via a sophisticated, state-of-the-art computer-assisted telephone interviewing system. Interviewers are highly trained, and information received during the process remains confidential. To be conducted twice a year, the survey is an excellent way for public agencies, nonprofit organizations and educators to obtain high-quality information from a wide variety of Arkansans that is more affordable than each agency sponsoring its own survey.
Information Gathered:
A representative sample of Northwest Arkansans was contacted by the Survey Research Center at the University of Arkansas in June of 2006 and asked about a variety of topics, including emergency preparedness. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed feel very well prepared or prepared for a natural disaster such as a tornado, flood or earthquake. Four out of five respondents have a first-aid kit at home. The same share claims to have a three-day supply of nonperishable food per person at home, while almost all have either candles and matches or flashlights with spare batteries, and nearly 70 percent report having a battery-powered radio with spare batteries. A third disclose having three gallons of bottled water per person at home. Only 1 percent has none of these emergency supplies.
Similar questions were asked of the nation by ABC News in the fall of 2005. At that time, a third said they had three gallons of bottled water per person at home; slightly over 70 percent had battery-powered radios with spare batteries. Like Northwest Arkansans, four out of five respondents also had a first-aid kit and four out of five had a three-day supply of nonperishable food per person at home.
Across the region, respondents most often report feeling prepared for a natural disaster. Men tend to feel more prepared for disaster than women: 65 percent of men feel either prepared or very well prepared for a natural disaster, while only 51 percent of women do.
Seventy-six percent of residents of Madison County report themselves as prepared or very well prepared, making them the most confident area of Northwest Arkansas. Benton and Carroll Counties follow with 61 and 60 percent of their residents professing high preparedness while Washington County residents describe themselves at these levels only 49 percent of the time.
The Arkansas Omnibus Survey
Researchers at the Survey Research Center of the University of Arkansas began to “Take the Pulse of Arkansas” in March and April as part of the newly initiated Spring 2006 Arkansas Omnibus Survey. The information gained through the survey will be used to shape public policy and educational programs in Arkansas. The topics covered in the survey are important to the Arkansans throughout the state. The Arkansas Omnibus Survey is an avenue by which a number of organizations can gather information. Questions, offered in both English and Spanish, cover a variety of subjects from water to health.
The Omnibus Survey uses random digit dialing to contact a wide sample of Arkansans for feedback. In total, the Arkansas Omnibus Survey will connect with more than 600 people so that findings are accurate within a range of 4 percentage points. The goal of the Arkansas Omnibus Survey is to learn more about a variety of topics and how they affect the state. Through the Arkansas Omnibus Survey, Arkansans can voice their preferences on issues important to their quality of life. Data from the surveys are collected via a sophisticated, state-of-the-art computer-assisted telephone interviewing system. Interviewers are highly trained, and information received during the process remains confidential.
To be conducted twice a year, the survey is an excellent way for public agencies, nonprofits and educators to obtain high-quality information from a wide variety of Arkansans that is more affordable than each agency sponsoring its own survey.
Fayetteville Citizen's Survey
During the summer of 2005, the Survey Research Center conducted the second Citizen’s Survey for the City of Fayetteville. This survey gave the citizens of Fayetteville a chance to voice their preferences about the goals this fast-growing city should pursue as well as their levels of satisfaction with the City’s goals and methods for providing quality city services. Currently, Survey Research Center staff are presenting findings of the survey to Ward and other meetings as desired. If you would like to schedule a presentation of the findings, please call the Center at 479.575.4222.
This survey gave citizens of Fayetteville a chance to voice their preferences about the goals this fast-growing city should pursue. Citizens also expressed their opinions about methods used in managing growth and the quality of city services.
The City of Fayetteville avails the public of the findings at: http://www.accessfayetteville.org/city_government/mayor/survey_of_citizens.html.
Survey of Perceptions of the "No Child Left Behind" Act
The goal of this project was to evaluate how Arkansans perceive the “No Child Left Behind” and the way that it has been implemented in their state. Conducted with a random sample of 600 Arkansas residents, the information was used by the faculty sponsor, Dr. Les Carnine, College of Education and Health Professions, and his fellow school superintendents in the Research and Advocacy Network. Survey results contribute to further research and to inform the state legislature of the opinions of their constituents.
Dr. Carnine's research can be found on the College of Education and Health Professions' web site: http://www.uark.edu/depts/coehp/.
Child Care Survey
Conducted by Human Environmental Sciences, Human Resources, the Staff Senate and the Fringe Benefits Committee at the University of Arkansas, the purpose of this survey was to determine whether faculty, staff and students were interested in having child care available to them on campus. The information was used to help determine whether the University of Arkansas should make child care available on campus.
Identification of People with Hearing Loss
The goal of this survey was to screen a national sample of households within the contiguous United States for persons who were deaf or hard of hearing. Ultimately, all information gathered from this survey was used to enable government agencies or others to provide those with impaired hearing the best possible services and/or improvements to their daily lives. The study was conducted by Drs. John Schroedel, Doug Watson, and Steve Boone, of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
University of Arkansas Commuter Survey
The University of Arkansas' Department of Transit and Parking and the Department of Facilities Management sponsored this survey. Via the internet, all faculty, staff, and students of the University voiced their opinions about the management of parking and bussing on the campus. They also expressed beliefs about other issues such as pedestrian safety and bicycle use. Findings will be used to inform the strategic planning of UA campus transit and parking.
Stopout Survey
In spring of 2003, the Recruitment Task Force at the University of Arkansas sponsored this telephone survey of students who withdrew from the university either fall semester 2001 or spring semester 2002. The respondents gave reasons for withdrawing, plans for the future, perspectives on the importance of a college education and opinions about the University of Arkansas.
A copy of the report can be accessed here.
Counselors Survey
High school counselors in Arkansas and its seven contiguous states were surveyed by telephone in January and February 2003. The survey aimed to determine the factors salient to advice high school counselors give students regarding colleges and universities, counselors' perceptions of the University of Arkansas, and how the University's admission staff can work more efficiently with the counselors to effectively recruit students.
A copy of the report can be accessed here.
Survey of Healthcare Supply Chain Administrators
The web-based survey assessed cost and quality efficiencies and improvement opportunities in the healthcare supply field by requesting input from over 15,000 administrators across the U.S., of which more than 1,200 responded. This survey is done for the Center for Innovations in Healthcare Logistics, in the University of Arkansas Department of Industrial Engineering, Drs. Heather Nachtmann and Ed Pohl, principal investigators. The survey was co-sponsored by the Association for Healthcare Resources and Materials Management.
Evaluation of Teambuilding Skills and Training Needs of Teams Trained by the Jones Center’s Life Adventure Center
The web-based survey for the care foundation polled employees of area non-profits before, during, and after the Life Adventure Center course using an evaluation tool constructed by Patrick Lencioni, author of “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.” Areas of greater and lesser functionality were identified and used to guide the activities of the teams as they participated in a “ropes course” training over several weeks. Post-training assessment looked for areas in which teambuilding skills improved.