The organization was founded by researcher Harry Field in 1941 as the "National Opinion Research Center", with financial support from department-store heir and newspaper owner
Marshall Field III (no relation) and the
University of Denver, where it was located. The center moved to the
University of Chicago in 1947. Since its founding, NORC at the University of Chicago has conducted numerous
social research projects involving opinion surveys, panel surveys, and marketing research. It also has conducted other data collection efforts for government agencies, nonprofit agencies, and corporations. Data from surveys are also often analyzed in a wide range of
social sciences, especially
sociology. NORC is best known for its large, national surveys, but has also conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses, longitudinal analyses, methodological studies, and international projects.
Clients NORC clients have included: •
American Bar Association - Women of Color in Law Firms Survey and Focus Groups •
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – Gates Millennium Scholars Tracking and Longitudinal Study, Washington State Achievers Program •
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – National Immunization Survey (NIS), National Flu Survey •
CNN – Florida Ballot Project •
NASA – Community Reactions to Sonic Booms, Effects of Sonic Boom on People •
New York Times – Florida Ballot Project •
Tribune Company – Florida Ballot Project •
U.S. Department of Defense – Camp Lejeune Environmental Health Survey •
U.S. Department of Education – Survey of Earned Doctorates •
U.S. Department of Energy – Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey •
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – National Survey of Children's Health, National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) •
U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics – National Longitudinal Survey of Youth •
Wall Street Journal – Florida Ballot Project
Notable projects •
AP Votecast, 2018–2024: A survey system of voters and non-voters developed with the
Associated Press that replaced AP's
exit polls. The system debuted in 2018. •
Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey 1991–present: Examines the social and health status of
Medicare beneficiaries on behalf of the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services • '''National Survey of Children's Health''', 2003–present: Examines the physical and emotional health of children ages 0–17 years of age. Funded by
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. •
National Immunization Survey (NIS), 1994–present: Provides the public with important statistics about childhood immunization and related health matters. Funded by the
CDC. •
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), 1966–present: Asks questions about economic, social, and academic experiences of the subjects. The survey also researches issues related to youth entry into the work force. Funded by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Funded by NORC at the University of Chicago. •
Making Connections Survey (MCS), 2002–2011: Neighborhood-based, longitudinal and cross-sectional surveying residents in ten low-income communities across the United States. It serves as an evaluation of a larger AECF-supported initiative and was designed to collect data measuring how neighborhood change affects the well-being of children. The final survey dataset includes responses from roughly 28,000 interviews at three points in time. Funded by the
Annie E. Casey Foundation. •
National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN), 2002–2010: The primary goals of this survey are to assess the prevalence and impact of special health care needs among children in the U.S., and to evaluate change over time. Funded by the
Maternal and Child Health Bureau,
Health Resources & Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. •
Florida Ballot Project, February–May 2001: Re-examined the approximately 180,000 uncounted ballots in the
2000 U.S. Presidential Election. Funded by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Tribune Company, Palm Beach Post, St. Petersburg Times, and Associated Press. ==References==