Mission
To provide accurate, inclusive opinion research to help Oregonians working to build stronger communities. Our research is ongoing; independent and nonpartisan; representative of rural Oregon and communities of color; valid and statistically reliable; and quantitative and qualitative.
“Policy makers and business leaders often express surprise when I tell them that researchers lack basic information about the beliefs and values of all Oregonians. Yet that information gap is real: surveys often collect information solely from target populations, such as likely voters or narrow consumer groups, thus preventing Oregonians from understanding the values and beliefs of all members of their community. The Oregon Values and Beliefs Center offers a plan to correct this problem by helping all groups of Oregonians — especially our rural and underrepresented neighbors — share their feelings and views about the issues affecting them. Through that plan, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center will provide Oregonians a better understanding of their communities and it will create a nonpartisan, reliable source of information that businesses, policy makers, and not-for-profits can use to advance the well-being and prosperity of our state.”
Tim Johnson, Director, Willamette University Center for Governance and Public Policy Research
Board of Directors
Our board members have experience and expertise with, or demonstrated interest in, opinion research and public engagement. OVBC board service also represents a learning and leadership opportunity for younger members.
Research Advisory Board
OVBC Staff
Donor/Funder Principles
In our work with community and institutional funders and individual donors who support opinion research at the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center, the following principles guide us:
- Access to scientifically conducted opinion research has become a privileged resource available only to those who can afford it and often only released to the public to advance a specific individual’s or organization’s agenda. By supporting the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center, donors and funders are helping to sustain independent and non-partisan opinion research to assist with advancing civil discourse, collaboration, and effectiveness of leadership – and by extension supporting constructive community building across the state.
- Donors and funders do not have any direct input into the OVBC research projects, including questionnaire and topic guide content and reporting of research findings.
- Donors and funders do not have special access to OVBC staff who design and administer projects.
- We commit to uphold high opinion research standards by using research designs that assure valid and statistically reliable results including using multiple data collection methodologies, demographic quotas, and statistical weighting to help assure representative sampling.
From time to time, we may gather financial support from funders for specific areas of research. When we do so, these additional principles apply:
- We are proud of our relationship with funders and let our readers know who they are by naming community and institutional funders on every research report that receives their support.
- While those who provide funding for specific areas of opinion research may know, generally, what projects OVBC researchers are working on, the principles outlined in A2 and A3 above still apply.
- We commit to share any evidence of the funded work’s impact with the funders of that work if requested.
Contact
Have a question or comment for us? Email us at info@oregonvbc.org or reach us at:
7533 S Corbett Ave.,
Portland, OR 97219
(971) 268-0362