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Frequently Asked Questions About the National Public Opinion Reference Survey

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What is Pew Research Center’s National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS)?

Read more about the survey you have been invited to take, or read the answers to frequently asked questions below. If you still have questions, feel free to call us at 1-888-385-6756, or email us at Study2025@PewResearch.org

Frequently Asked Questions

To read answers to these frequently asked questions, click an item below or scroll down.

Why should I help?

Your voice matters. We listen to people of different ages, races, and backgrounds. We sum up what we hear and share it with leaders and the public to inform decisions. You will also get $10 as a thank-you.

What is the survey about?

The survey asks about a lot of different topics. For example, it will ask what you think about the economy or your community. It will also ask about your everyday life like using the internet.

How was I selected?

Your address was randomly selected from a list of all addresses in the U.S.

Who is eligible to participate?

All adults (18 years old or older) who received an invitation letter or email are eligible to participate.

How long is the survey?

It takes most people about 10 minutes to complete.

How do I get my $10?

After you return the survey, we will send you $10 in the mail. Your reward will be mailed within 4 weeks.

Why do you want the adult with the next birthday to complete the survey?

This is a scientific method used to make sure we represent all people and voices. If you are the only adult in your home, please fill out the survey yourself.

What is Pew Research Center?

We are a staff of about 170 people. We give Americans a chance to share how they feel about what’s going on near them and across the U.S. Learn more about us at www.pewresearch.org/about.

Are you a Democratic or Republican group?

No! We do not side with any political party, and we don’t take any positions on issues. We work hard to write neutral, fair questions. We collect and provide facts that all people and parties can trust.

What are my answers used for?

We provide information that leaders and others use to make decisions and form opinions. Information we provide is often used by students for learning, by the government to make laws, on the news to keep people up-to-date, and by local groups to help communities.

Are you trying to sell me something?

No! We will never try to sell you anything. We will also never sell or give your identifying information to anyone outside of our research team.

Will people see my answers?

We collect answers from thousands of people and summarize them. Only a few research team members will ever know which person said what. This includes some people who work at Pew Research Center and a data collection contractor, SSRS, that helps us manage the survey process.

We will never publish your name, email, phone number, or address.

How will you protect my privacy?

We follow a variety of security measures to make sure your answers stay private. Specifically:

  • Any information you provide is saved on secure computers or in locked drawers. Only a small number of members on the project team have access to your answers.
  • We limit the amount of personally identifiable information* or PII we collect to the minimum we need to accurately conduct surveys and send you your thank-you payment. In other words, if we don’t need it, we won’t ask.
  • When we ask for PII, we store your survey answers separately from this information. This means people who have your name can’t see how you answered the questions and vice versa.
  • Once we no longer need your PII, it is permanently deleted.
  • We never make your PII such as your name or address public. But, we do publish de-identified datasets on our website. This means that we will publish the answers you gave, but they will be anonymous. No one will know who said what.

In addition to the specific policies above, we are a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s Transparency Initiative. As such, we follow their Code of Ethics, including the code to protect survey participants’ privacy.

* By “personally identifiable information” (PII), we mean information that could be used to identify you, such as your name, address, email address, geographic location, or the names of members of your household.

Who is sponsoring this study?

Pew Research Center. We are sponsoring this study through a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Can my family or friends participate too?

Unfortunately, no. Only people at addresses that are randomly selected and contacted by Pew Research Center can participate. Random selection is important to make sure the results are accurate. Learn more about random sampling in this video.

National Public Opinion Reference Survey Contact Information

For questions about the National Public Opinion Reference Survey or if you have technical questions or difficulty accessing the survey, please email Study2025@PewResearch.org or call toll-free 1-888-385-6756 between 9 a.m. and midnight Eastern Time on weekdays, and between noon and 8 p.m. Eastern Time on weekends.