Polls and public opinion the lowa conference on attitude and opinion research

Plans for the Iowa Conference on Attitude and Opinion Research took form shortly after November 2, 1948, when the need and desirability of a stock-taking of theory and methods in social science were apparent. Though the interests of the Conference and the Committee on Polls and Election Forecasts of the Social Science Research Council were never considered duplicative, the Conference deferred its original date of December 9-11, 1948, to February 10-12, 1949, in order better to supplement the work of the Committee and for the more cogent reason that it envisaged a broader coverage of social science interests.

The wisdom of the postponement appears in the better perspective which the passing of time provided, permitting more study and presentation of data not earlier available. Its participants represent a wide range of interests, including the views of some of the poll takers themselves, and bringing together theoretical and technical aspects. It attempted further to outline and define some of the prob lems now made acute by the experience of 1948 and to provide sug gestions and ideas which can be followed up by social science re searchers in the future.

For the most part the Report is essentially as taken down during the Conference sessions by stenotype recording. The main presenta tions have been revised by their authors. In a few sections where insufficient time precluded the full presentation because of the neces sities of a crowded schedule, the material is included here in full. Permission was granted to publish several papers in journals whose readership is particularly interested in those portions of the subject matter.

The Conference planning committee made an earnest effort to in clude in its invitations individuals representing a wide variety of interests, including many whose known views differ from others equally active and competent in social science research. It was in tended to be a Conference inviting full discussion in the interests of clarifying moot points and enlarging understanding of the problems.