About IPOL
Advancing the study of comparative public opinion through collaborative research, original data collection, and undergraduate scholarship.
What is IPOL?
I founded the International Public Opinion Lab (IPOL) in 209 to bring together undergraduate students, alumni, and faculty members to conduct original research on comparative politics and public opinion. The lab's research focuses primarily on East Asia and the US (although we did one survey in Mexico), while also exploring broader questions related to political behavior, democratic governance, national identity, elections, immigration, and international security.
The goal of IPOL is twofold. First, IPOL seeks to produce high-quality, policy-relevant research through original survey research, survey experiments, comparative datasets, and quantitative analysis. Second, it provides undergraduate students with meaningful opportunities to participate in every stage of the research process. Unlike many undergraduate research experiences that focus primarily on assisting faculty, students in IPOL serve as active research collaborators, often with their own funded projects. They regularly contribute to project design, data collection, manuscript preparation, conference presentation and publishing in both peer-reviewed and public-facing outlets. The goal here is for students to gain practical experience while developing the skills necessary for graduate study, public service, and careers requiring analytical and quantitative expertise.
The success of IPOL is clear, resulting in peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, policy analyses, conference presentations, honors theses, and competitive undergraduate research grants.
As political attitudes continue to shape domestic politics and international relations, IPOL seeks to advance our understanding of public opinion while preparing the next generation of political scientists through hands-on research experience.