Public opinion research at a glance
Public opinion research is a representative sociological study that shows the attitudes and opinions of a whole population (or a defined segment) on a given topic. At NMS, we design the methodology so results reflect reality—and can be used for decisions, communication, and defending actions to stakeholders. We can run data collection online, by phone, or face-to-face—depending on the target group and the precision you need.
Quick summary:
- a representative sample = conclusions that apply to the population, not just a “poll”
- relevant for public administration, media, NGOs, and commercial clients
- data collection method chosen by topic and target group (online/phone/in-person)
- data quality controls and methodological standards
- decision-ready outputs: interpretation, recommendations, data tables
- option to connect to specialised political measurement – election preference polling
- support for argumentation in communication and when pushing through changes/policies
- published outputs (e.g., election models) as publicly verifiable signals of experience
What you get in practice
- Confidence in decision-making — instead of opinions, you get representative data on public attitudes, grounded in the methodology of quantitative research.
- Stronger communication and argumentation — we translate results into clear conclusions you can use with stakeholders and the public (and if you’re dealing with elections, we can build on election preference research).
- Representative results, not a “quick poll” — quality control and correct sampling are what separate public opinion research from casual surveying.
- The right method for the right people — we can run online, phone, or in-person fieldwork; for online projects, online research (CAWI) often makes sense, and we choose a single method or a mix based on the objective.
- Outputs you can use immediately — you get interpretation, context, and materials (not just charts). And when you need the “why” behind the numbers, we can follow up with qualitative research.
What we help you answer—and who benefits
Public opinion research makes sense when you need to base a decision or public communication on representative data—typically for socially sensitive topics, changes, reforms, policy proposals, or reputational questions. When you need certainty that conclusions are not just “the loudest voices,” we design the methodology so results reflect the population and can be interpreted as standard quantitative research.
Most often, this supports public administration and institutions, media, NGOs, think tanks, and also companies when they touch broader societal topics (e.g., regulatory impact, public affairs, CSR). If your goal is to directly measure party/candidate support or model elections, it’s better to use election preference research and place results in the context of the full Politics & society services offering.
Deliverables you can actually use
Data quality is critical for us—so we use control mechanisms across both fieldwork and processing, and we choose methods that minimise bias.
We tailor outputs to your objective and audience—one format for leadership decisions, another for external communication. Typically, we deliver clearly interpreted conclusions (including materials for stakeholder presentations), data tables for deeper cuts (segments, cross-tabs, trends over time), and a summary of recommendations—what the results imply for next steps. If you need to collect results quickly online while keeping methodological integrity, we often use online survey research (CAWI) – often powered by our own tools, such as CAWI platform Askero.
See our ongoing published analyses and models on NMS Public.
Questions and answers
Is an election poll the same as an election model?
Public opinion research works with a representative sample and a methodology that allows conclusions to be applied to the population. A poll typically does not guarantee representativeness.
How do you ensure representativeness?
Representativeness comes from correct sampling and control mechanisms during data collection and processing so results match the target population.
Which fieldwork methods do you use (online, phone, in-person)?
Depending on the topic and target group, we choose online, phone, or face-to-face data collection. Each method has different strengths for reach and precision.
Is this research relevant for commercial clients too?
Yes—often for PR communication, reputational topics, social impacts of regulation, or internal argumentation.
What do I get—just charts, or also conclusions?
Typically, we deliver interpretation in context, conclusions and recommendations, plus data materials so you can work with them.
Can you do long-term trend tracking?
Yes—repeated waves let you track how attitudes evolve over time and what is stable versus short-term.
When is election preference polling better than general public opinion research?
When you need to measure support for parties/candidates or model election outcomes. In that case, a specialised election preference research is a better fit.
