Standards and Best Practices

Standards

View Standards: The Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Telephone Public Opinion Research

These standards are intended to be used for custom telephone public opinion research surveys conducted for the Government of Canada including questions added to omnibus surveys.

The Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Online Public Opinion Research

These standards are intended to be used for custom online public opinion research surveys conducted for the Government of Canada including questions added to omnibus surveys.

Best Practices

Improving Respondent Cooperation for Telephone Surveys

This best practices document is intended to provide public servants and other practitioners undertaking public opinion research on behalf of the Government of Canada with a practical guide to achieving and maintaining high response rates from telephone surveys.

Secondary Research Reports

Secondary Research on Best Practices in Mixed-Mode Public Opinion Surveys and Mode Transition for the Government of Canada

This research report, based on secondary research, is primarily intended for public servants and other practitioners undertaking public opinion research on behalf of the Government of Canada but will also be of interest to other practitioners of mixed-mode survey research outside government. This report discusses the potential benefits associated with mixed-mode methodologies for conducting social science research and presents best practices in mixed-mode public opinion surveys for the Government of Canada. The approach undertaken in conducting this research involved a comprehensive literature review of relevant sources, including Government of Canada public opinion research reports posted since 2010 on the Library and Archives Canada site for public opinion research report, as well as other authoritative sources on the Web, academic publishing and industry associations.

Secondary Research into Cell Phones and Telephone Surveys

This research report, based on secondary research, is primarily intended for public servants and other practitioners undertaking public opinion research on behalf of the Government of Canada but will also be of interest to other practitioners of telephone survey research outside government. The report presents data showing the representativeness of telephone surveys based on landline-only sample frames. It follows with a discussion of the results of recent experimental research, providing a comprehensive summary of the current state of the public opinion research discipline's knowledge in this area. The report focuses on current approaches, including best practices for incorporating cell phone numbers into survey samples. It also compares the methods of constructing cell phone samples that are currently possible in Canada, including the respective advantages and disadvantages of each.

Advisory Panels

The Advisory Panel on Government of Canada Qualitative Public Opinion Research Quality

The Advisory Panel on Government of Canada Qualitative Public Opinion Research Quality was convened in 2012 to provide advice and guidance to the Public Opinion Research Directorate of PWGSC on possible quality standards and guidelines appropriate to qualitative public opinion research conducted for the Government of Canada.

The Advisory Panel on Online Public Opinion Survey Quality

The Advisory Panel on Online Public Opinion Survey Quality was convened in 2007 to provide advice and guidance to the Public Opinion Research Directorate of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) on survey quality standards and benchmarks appropriate to public opinion online survey research conducted for the Government of Canada.

Advisory Panel On Telephone Public Opinion Survey Quality

The Advisory Panel on Telephone Public Opinion Survey Quality was convened in 2006 to provide advice and guidance to the Public Opinion Research Directorate of PWGSC on survey quality standards and benchmarks appropriate to public opinion telephone survey research conducted for the Government of Canada.