Welcome to the Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR)
In the past two years the Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR) has expanded its capacity to respond to a variety of research applications. While continuing to conduct telephone surveys, the BOSR now supports a number of projects that use in-person interviews, focus groups, Web-based surveys, and scannable questionnaire forms. As a quick overview, some of our current and recent projects are detailed below.
The BOSR is located in
Benton Hall--our home since October 2006. Our main office is located on the first floor in 118 Benton Hall. Our project offices and dedicated, 18-station interviewing lab are located on the third floor.
The links at the left will help you navigate through the history of the BOSR, the types of projects we regularly conduct, and information on how we may be able to help you in your research. If the BOSR is new to you or if it has simply been awhile since you've visited us, we hope that you will take some time to become acquainted with our site and learn about the exciting ways we may be able to assist you with your research, today or in the near future.
Some of our Current Projects
Nebraska Army National Guard Spouse's Survey
The BOSR is facilitating the data collection for Sociology Ph.D. candidate Angela Wheeler's study of Nebraska Army National Guard spouses who have experienced deployment. The BOSR recently mailed survey packets to spouses of soldiers of the Nebraska Army National Guard unit. If you received one of our survey packets, we hope you will help us with this important research by taking some time to complete the questionnaire. Please click here for more information about this study, including contact information for the researcher and project manager, frequently asked questions, and "what to do if" explanations.
Family Choices Study: Follow-up Survey
We are currently calling back many of the women Penn State and BOSR interviewed about three years ago for the Family Choices Study. This important, longitudinal telephone survey asks women from all sorts of backgrounds about their child-bearing and family-building decisions. If you recently received a letter from us asking for your continued participation, or if you are just curious, click here for more information about this project.
Roadway Materials & Infrastructure Study
The Roadway Materials and Infrastructure Study is being conducted by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Grant. If you are a UNL student in this program and have been invited to participate in this study, click here to complete the survey online.
Recently Completed Projects
Nebraska Post-School Outcomes Project Survey. We recently completed data collection for the 2008 Nebraska Post-School Outcomes Project. Our staff is now cleaning the data and preparing reports for the Nebraska Department of Education’s Special Populations Unit. If you were interviewed as part this year's survey, we thank you for helping us learn about students' experiences with work and school since leaving high school. If you would like more information about this multi-year study, please click here.
Political Science Study. We recently called and recruited many of the participants who last summer completed an interview on political issues and behaviors to participate in a second phase of this project. For more, click here for more information about this study.
Survey on Promoting Success among UNL Faculty. The BOSR recently administered a Web survey with University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty members. If you were part of that study and would like , including contact information for the researchers, please click here.
Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS). NASIS has served the state for 30 years, providing summary data about how Nebraskans think, feel and live. This year's study included questions from state departments, non-profit organizations and the university faculty/departments on such topics as the state's roadways and fishing opportunities, employment and well-being, nursing care and media consumption. If you received a call from one of our telephone interviewers and completed the NASIS survey, thank you! Your opinions and experiences will help serve the people of Nebraska. For more information about NASIS and its uses click here.
2008 City of Lincoln Budgeting Survey. The BOSR recently completed telephone interviews with about 600 Lincoln residents who weighed in on the City's budgeting process for the Mayor's Office and City Council. For more information about the telephone survey and how these results already have been used to shape the future of Lincoln, please visit the Mayor's Web page at http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/mayor/index.htm and the PPC's Web site at http://ppc.nebraska.edu/.
Aligning Forces for Quality: Assessment of Consumer Engagement. In cooperation with The Pennsylvania State University and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Bureau of Sociological Research recently completed a total of 950 telephone interviews with residents in the Kansas City metropolitan area and in state of Wisconsin to learn more about experiences with the health care system in different communities nationwide. The information obtained from this survey will help to inform improvement efforts in the health care system.
Specialty Cheese Industry Study. An updated Specialty Cheese Report is forthcoming from the UNL Food Processing Center (FPC). Using data collected by BOSR from a telephone survey of specialty cheese producers in the United States, FPC researchers were able to learn more about the specialty cheese market as a whole and gain insight into the types of programs and services that they could develop to assist specialty cheese processors. To access a copy of the 2001 Specialty Cheese Report click here.
Participant Perceptions and Decision-Making Concerning Retirement Benefits Survey. The BOSR recently concluded data collection for this mail survey of individuals who were enrolled in the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System (NPERS) and either retired or terminated employment with the State of Nebraska in 1997. The researcher is currently analyzing the data from this study. For more information about this study, including the latest results, click here.
Nebraska Eating and Physical Activity (NEPAST) Study. In the spring and fall of 2007, BOSR conducted two waves of telephone interviewing with Lancaster County residents to discuss their views about diet and exercise behaviors to learn how opinions and behaviors about diet and exercise had changed in three-months' time. The researcher is currently assessing the data collected from this study.
By the People (BTP) 2007 provided a unique opportunity for Omaha residents to discuss their opinions about immigration and other issues affecting their community, both through a short telephone survey conducted by the BOSR and within a public forum organized by the UNL Public Policy Center (PPC). You can find news articles and air dates for the BTP broadcasts of this event by logging on to the PPC's Web site, http://ppc.nebraska.edu, or calling 402-472-5678. Thanks for voicing your opinions and making this event a great success.
