TOWARD RESPONSIBILITY IN REPORTING OPINION SURVEYS. INTRODUCTION.

This section introduces the articles featured in the 1971 issue of the Public Opinion Quarterly. The three articles which follow were presented in somewhat different form at the 1970 American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Conference. The session was requested by the Executive Council of AAPOR to illuminate issues arising from four cases reported to and investigated by the Standards Committee. The four complaints charged an assortment of ethical infractions, from biased questionnaires to connivance in government propaganda. In each instance the Committee requested explanation from the accused. No judgments were made and no conclusions reached, but the issues cannot be avoided. as made clear in the articles, as well as in day-to-day events, polls are now an integral part of the political process. All three writers perform variations on the theme that increased use of and reliance on polls demands greater responsibility. Meyer, the journalist, calls for better communication; Congressman Nedzi explores the legislative route, hoping thereby to stimulate other approaches; Field, the poller, says that every member of AAPOR must recognize it is his problem and advocates steps toward further professional responsibility.