Standards and Ethics
At the CSBR, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. This focus on standards and ethics is woven into every dimension of our work. We only provide research services that we are competent to execute at the level of rigor and excellence our clients and collaborators expect and deserve. We develop research designs that are appropriate for the project -- fit for purpose -- and adhere to the best practices in the associated field of science.
We work with our partners to ask meaningful questions and we restrict our analytic conclusions to those clearly supported by the data. We comply with the Code of Professional Ethics and Practices of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). Joint Committee Program Evaluation Standards help guide the conduct of evaluation activities conducted at the Center.
Our commitment to these principles goes beyond the minimal requirements. All staff members (including student research assistants and interviewers) receive training in research ethics, research participant protections, and confidentiality. Our Director, Mary Losch, has been deeply involved in research ethics for many years serving on Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) at both the University of Iowa and UNI (as chair). At the national level, Dr. Losch has served as the Standards Chair on the AAPOR Executive Council and chaired the AAPOR committee that revised the Code of Professional Ethics and Practices in 2009-2010. She is serving again on the Code review committee in 2017-2018 and also serves as a member of the AAPOR Transparency Initiative Coordinating Committee.