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81st Annual AAPOR Conference

The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) holds its 81st Annual Conference on May 13-15, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.

Meet us at AAPOR’s 81st in Los Angeles! This year’s theme, “An LA Love Story of Data, Innovation, and the Quest for Truth,” in an era of shifting perceptions and evolving methodologies, this year’s conference will focus on connecting our work to the broader public, rebuilding trust in data, and ensuring that insights from polling and survey research remain an essential pillar in informed decision-making.

Find Us at AAPOR 2026

As a platinum sponsor of AAPOR 2026, NORC staff will be presenting and moderating in over 42 different sessions at this year’s conference. Join us in Los Angeles to explore the latest trends, innovations, and research. 

Come say hi! Find us at booths 206-208.

Visit our booth for a chance to win one of two books on data and research: Fact Forward: The Perils of Bad Information and the Promise of a Data-Savvy Society by Dan Gaylin and Harry Hubert Field, The Life of a Survey Research Pioneer by Tom W. Smith.

Winners will be drawn throughout each day and notified by email. Prizes must be claimed in person at the NORC booth before the conclusion of the conference.

Charter Member AAPOR Transparency Initiative

Event Details

Date & Time

May 13-15, 2026

 

Location

Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles, California 
 

Booth

Visit NORC at booths #206-208

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Event Schedule

For a glimpse of all NORC’s presentations at AAPOR 2026, download our NORC presentation schedule.

Featured NORC Research

Showcasing Cutting-Edge Research on Conference Themes

 

AI & Innovation  •  Probability vs. Nonprobability  •  Adaptability & Diversification

Download Full NORC Presentation Schedule (PDF)

AI & Innovation

Discover innovative applications of artificial intelligence across the survey lifecycle, from design to data collection to analysis.

Related Presentations

A Generative AI Approach for Integrating Synthetic Respondents with Probability-Based Human Panels for Social Science Applications

Presenter: Leah Christian

Probability-based samples combined with AI-generated synthetic respondents, grounded in NORC’s AmeriSpeak® panel and validated against human data, offer a scalable approach that preserves representativeness and methodological rigor.

Leveraging Large Language Models to Code Open-End Responses in the General Social Survey

Presenter: Soubhik Barari

Survey-based methods use population benchmarks and psychometric measurements to rigorously assess political, gender, and racial bias in leading large language models, bridging survey research and LLM evaluation.

Hi, Claude, Can You Test My Web Survey? A Feasibility Study of Using AI for Survey Testing

Presenter: Ting Yan

AI-assisted web instrument testing shows promise as a scalable complement to manual QA, with pilot results indicating that LLMs can detect logic, validation, and typographical errors while simulating respondent behavior under guided prompting.

The Future Is Calling: A Pilot of AI-Assisted Telephone Interviewing

Presenter: Alyssa Kahle

A pilot comparing AI-assisted and traditional telephone interviewing on a probability-based AmeriSpeak® survey examines data quality, costs, and respondent experience, finding lower completion rates but positive feedback among completers and highlighting tradeoffs for future adoption.

Theme Experts

  • Leah Christian

    Senior Vice President
    Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences

  • Ting Yan

    Vice President
    Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences

  • Soubhik Barari

    Senior Research Methodologist
    Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences

  • Joshua Lerner

    Senior Research Methodologist
    Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences

  • Brandon Sepulvado

    Senior Research Methodologist
    Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences

Discover Our Work

Detecting AI Responses in Survey Data: NORC’s Next Leap for Data Quality

Innovation Brief

Senior research methodologist Brandon Sepulvado introduces NORC’s AI detection tool, which identifies AI-generated survey responses with more than 99 percent precision.

Closeup of two men data science specialists working at office together, analyzing big data on screen. Coders working on new project

How NORC Is Using AI to Enhance the Research Process

Innovation Brief

AmeriSpeak chief scientist Ting Yan outlines how NORC is using AI to improve data quality and research rigor.

closeup image of hands typing on a laptop

A Framework for Using AI Responsibly with Federal Datasets

Innovation Brief

A new NORC framework shows how AI can improve the quality and integration of federal datasets.

Big data analysts looking at computer screen in the office

Probability vs. Non-Probability Sampling

Explore the essential role of probability sampling in producing trustworthy, representative insights—while addressing the growing risks of nonprobability data.

Related Presentations

Past and Present-Day Challenges of Nonprobability Samples

Presenter: David Dutwin

Evidence comparing probability and nonprobability samples shows persistent gaps in reliability and bias, while emerging threats from bots, AI‑generated responses, and organized fraud further challenge data quality across nonprobability and hybrid surveys.

Examining Coverage & Sampling Errors Using Probability & Nonprobability Panels

Presenters: Brian Wells & Erlina Hendarwan

Recent advances in probability-based panels demonstrate how targeted supplementation and panel management strategies can improve representativeness, address nonresponse and retention, and sustain long-term data quality with greater cost efficiency.

Assessing Large Language Models for Coding Open-Ended Survey Responses: A Study Using the AmeriSpeak® Panel

Presenter: Min Zhu

The use of large language models to code open‑ended responses in probability‑based surveys is evaluated using AmeriSpeak® data, examining performance, consistency, and efficiency across complex domains while highlighting tradeoffs in accuracy, transparency, and scalability for large‑scale survey workflows.

Integrating Behavioral & Text-Based Indicators to Detect Low-Quality and AI-Generated Survey Responses

Presenter: Joshua Lerner

An integrated quality‑assessment toolkit addresses emerging threats such as inattentive responding, fraud, and AI‑generated answers by operationalizing behavioral, paradata, and text‑based indicators—including machine‑learning detection—within practical review workflows.

Theme Experts

  • David Dutwin

    Executive Director and Senior Vice President
    AmeriSpeak

  • Erlina Hendarwan

    Director, Panel Operations
    AmeriSpeak

  • Brian M. Wells

    Senior Research Methodologist
    Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences

  • Min Zhu

    Senior Statistician
    Statistics & Data Science

  • Joshua Lerner

    Senior Research Methodologist
    Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences

  • Ipek Bilgen

    Principal Research Methodologist
    Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences

Discover Our Work

Using Nonprobability Survey Samples Can Be a Dangerous Gamble

Research Brief

A NORC analysis finds that the gap between probability and nonprobability sampling has grown too consequential to ignore.

Person using AI chatbot virtual assistance app on smartphone

It’s Time to Be Honest About the Limitations of Nonprobability Survey Panels

Expert View

AmeriSpeak’s David Dutwin makes the case that probability-based panels are the only reliable path to valid findings across every demographic cohort.

aerial image of clusters of people scattered across different points in a grid

Fighting Fraud in Qualitative Research with Probability-Based Panels

Expert View

AmeriSpeak’s Martha Cowley explains why probability-based panel recruitment is the most effective defense against fraud in qualitative research.

African american woman in casual meeting with startup owner and team in video call from home living room. Job seeker in online interview on personal computer while roommate is relaxing reading a book.

Adaptability & Diversification

Learn how adapting methods and diversifying data sources can improve coverage, strengthen rigor, and generate richer insights.

Related Presentations

Reaching the Unreachable: A Partnership Approach to Surveying Displaced Residents Post-Wildfire

Presenter: Kristy Griffith

NORC’s partnership with the Pacific Palisades Community Council demonstrates how multi‑source locating, intensive address verification, and community‑led outreach can produce a high‑quality, probability‑based sample of wildfire‑displaced residents in a hard‑to‑reach population.

Blending Qualitative and Quantitative Insights: Using AI Survey Tools on a Probability-Based Panel

Presenter: Dan Costanzo

A collaboration between NORC and Surgo Health evaluates Derin, an AI‑enabled survey tool deployed on the probability‑based AmeriSpeak® Panel, highlighting how adaptive AI follow‑ups and automated analysis can enrich survey insights at scale while raising methodological and ethical considerations for integrating generative AI into probability research.

Restoring Confidence through Rigor: Using a Probability Panel to Mitigate Bias in a Nonprobability Sample

Presenter: David Sterrett

Combining probability‑based and nonprobability samples with advanced calibration methods, evidence from a NORC–AARP study shows how probability foundations and modern modeling can reduce bias, improve representativeness, and support cost‑efficient hybrid survey designs.

Identifying and Merging Key Administrative Data with the NSHAP for Study of Neighborhood Exposure Effects

Presenter: Melissa Howe

Linking geocoded NSHAP data with census tract–level measures of environmental and social conditions, this project creates a broadly shareable, de‑identified dataset to advance research on how neighborhood exposures shape physical and mental health among older adults.

Theme Experts

Discover Our Work

Healthy Illinois Survey

One of the largest state-level health surveys in the United States, providing high-resolution information for all of Illinois

Client:

Illinois Department of Public Health

The National Recreational Boating Safety Survey

The only nationwide estimate of recreational boating in the United States

Client:

U.S. Coast Guard

Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery & Rebuilding

Capturing resident priorities to guide post-wildfire recovery and rebuilding in the Pacific Palisades

Client:

Pacific Palisades Community Council with support from the Riviera Foundation

NORC Featured Experts at AAPOR 2026