NORC has a long history of conducting high quality data collection to support important social science research endeavors. Since the design and operations of a research study are crucial to reliability, validity, and credibility, the data collection team works closely with statisticians and methodologists, and quality assurance specialists to develop high quality data collection activities.

Data Collection Capabilities

• A large, highly experienced national field staff
• A scalable, state-of-the-art CATI call center based on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
• Use of new technologies such as PDAs, portable scanners, GPS devices, and touch-screens 
• Extensive experience with longitudinal and tracking studies
• Biomarker and biological sample collection using trained interviewers or medical professionals, as appropriate 
• Proven capability to access diverse and hard-to-reach communities
• Interviewing in a variety of modes in any of dozens of languages, notably Arabic, Chinese, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese
• Unique case management system that allows for timely cost and progress reports, and also accommodates many questionnaire authoring tools such as Blaise, SPSS, and MR-interview  
• Superior interviewer training tailored to meet unique client needs

Data Collection Modes

NORC gathers data in many different ways, including: 

• Surveys conducted in-person and by mail, telephone, internet, and audio-self-administered, or by mixed modes
• Case Studies
• Cognitive Interviews
• Contingent Valuation methods
• Focus Groups
• Key Informant and Stakeholder Interviews
• Records collection and record sampling
• Qualitative data collection
• Site visits and other observational approaches
• Use of vignettes

The kinds of data collected include:

• Individual, household or establishment information supporting wide ranging research initiatives including health and family, energy consumption, childhood immunization, social behavior, employment, retirement, and other matters
• Administrative records, such as academic transcripts, financial documents, medical records, and meeting minutes 
• opinions
• biomarkers and biomeasures

Data Quality

NORC makes an ongoing corporate investment in continuous improvement initiatives in our field and telephone operations which has resulted in steady gains in productivity and accuracy.  All data collection efforts are supported by state-of-the-art quality assurance methods and procedures.

Data Stewardship and Respondent Confidentiality

NORC values the privacy of respondents and treats all data, either commonplace or highly sensitive, with the highest professional standards for security and confidentiality.  Protecting the confidentiality of survey respondents is of paramount importance and NORC takes serious measures to ensure that privacy is maintained.