Office for Survey Research

...Survey Research in Progress

The Office for Survey Research’s mission is to produce rigorous survey data on pressing public policy issues to inform policy and decision makers and the general public. Our capabilities are multidisciplinary and range from healthcare, to women's issues, to civil liberties and public attitudes toward a wealth of topics.

We are organized to conduct traditional telephone and mailed questionnaires for public, nonprofit and private organizations. We are also enhancing our capabilities in the areas of web survey services and focus group facilitation. Office of Survey Research work is widely distributed to other researchers, policy leaders, lobbyists and advocacy groups, and utilized to further understanding of our health, our economy and our world.

Below is a sampling of our current research:


• Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (BRFSS)
• Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS)
• U of M Cancer Care Survey (PROST QA )
• State of the State Survey (SOSS)
• Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Math and Science Education (PROM/SE 2)
• Work-Life Flexibility in Unionized Workplaces Survey

See a complete listing of all current and pending projects.

For Healthy Lives:

Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey
Under contract with the Michigan Department of Community Health, OSR is conducting the Michigan data collection for the national Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) designed and coordinated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 2,225 Michigan adults are interviewed quarterly through 2008. Each interview lasts roughly 20 minutes. Results are used by researchers to monitor the health of the state and the nation generally, and to plan activities and programs to improve the health and access to health care of residents.  A special, separate follow-up survey on Asthma is underway. It involves adult respondents who have asthma or who have a child with asthma.

Throughout most of 2008, OSR is conducting a special Behavioral Risk Factor Survey of cell phone users. This is part of a pilot project with 21other states and directed by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

For Healthy Babies:

PRAMS-Michigan
OSR is collecting the Michigan data as a part of the national Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS) designed and coordinated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 2,000 women who have recently given birth in Michigan are surveyed annually. Data collection for 2008 births is underway. Results are used by researchers at CDC and the Michigan Department of Community Health to find ways to improve the health and health behaviors of women during pregnancy and to improve birth outcomes and the care of infants.

For Quality of Care:

PROST QA - University of Michigan Cancer Care Survey
This telephone survey of prostate cancer patients and their spouses or partners asks about the quality of care they receive. The research team includes faculty collaborators and patients recruited from M.D. Anderson, UCLA, Washington University, the Cleveland Clinic, Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center-Harvard University, and the University of Michigan. The project has recruited more than 1,200 patients and 600 spouses or partners who have completed a baseline interview prior to treatment and then are interviewed 2-months, 6-months, 12-months, 24-months, 36-months, and 48-months post-treatment. Results will be used by researchers to guide improvements in the quality of care given to men who develop this most common form of cancer in males. An initial description of the study panel and early post-treatment results are soon to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

For Public Policy:

State of the State Survey
The quarterly study is administered via telephone to approximately 1,000 Michigan adult residents and focuses directly on public policy issues. It is stratified by region and has been conducted since 1994. See the latest SOSS' results available at Data on Demand. More information is available online.

For Math and Science Education:

PROM/SE 2 (Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Math and Science Education)
This web survey of 5,000 K-12 teachers in selected school districts is focused on the teaching of mathematics and science. Funding is provided by the National Science Foundation and the MSU Office of the Provost. The research team is led by MSU Distinguished University Professor William Schmidt, a faculty member of the College of Education.

OSR's staff contributes directly to this research.

This is yet another way that an IPPSR's Office for Survey Research contributes to the university's goal to transform lives and advance knowledge. It is through these surveys, coupled with MSU faculty and combined with community educators, that schools around the country are preparing their students for knowledge-based and community enriching careers. Read more about how this research is changing young lives at the website for Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Math and Science Education.

This cutting edge research is also profiled in detail on MSU's website.

For Life at Work:

Work-Life Flexibility in Unionized Workplaces Survey
Funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, this project encompasses a telephone survey of 1,000 employees in 10 businesses and institutions nationwide. The survey is part of a larger study of work-life flexibility in unionized workplaces. The purpose of the survey is to increase the understanding of the role managers and union representatives play in how workers use and experience flexibility policies and practices. A companion web survey is underway with faculty and staff of a university in Australia. Professors E. Kossek and P. Berg, both of MSU’s School of Labor and Industrial Relations, are co-principal investigators. The survey will continue through Winter 2008.

Your Questions about the Office for Survey Research

We are excited to answer your questions about our capabilities and facilities.

For more information about OSR or these surveys or about OSR contact Larry Hembroff, OSR Director and Senior Survey Methodologist, or Karen Clark, Senior Project Manager.

Last Updated 2/14/2008

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