Using DDI for Managing and Disseminating Public Opinion Research Data at the Roper Center

In 1957, polling leaders determined that a national archive of polling data, accessible to all practitioners of survey research, was necessary to move the field forward and open up new forms of data analysis based on the comparison and pooling of data from multiple sources. Since then, the Roper Center has held a unique position as the central repository for U.S. polling data. Roper has adopted DDI standards for data processing in order to: improve the efficiency of its internal data processing, provide more complete records for future researchers, and aid in the creation of discovery and analysis tools. By adopting DDI, Roper will greatly increase the granularity of its metadata, collecting and disseminating far more specific detail about polls and their methodology and saving that information as searchable, analyzable elements in its archive. This new metadata structure will enable new forms of analysis across the archival collection, allowing Roper to fulfill more fully the vision of its founding. In addition, the implementation of DDI standards at Roper will encourage compliance with the AAPOR Transparency Initiative for the many survey research organizations that archive with the Center, promoting greater sharing of information about methodology and practices across the industry. Roper will demonstrate a DDI-­compliant data submission portal and explain how our use of DDI supports the mission of the Roper Center to preserve and disseminate public opinion data and holds the potential to bring improvements to the larger polling industry.