The Public Opinion Research Institute was established in 2013 by a group of sociologists with professional experience of more than 22 years. The Institute specializes in the study of public opinion, conducts marketing and sociological studies, both in Kazakhstan and in other countries of the world. Highly qualified sociological experts of the Institute have experience in conducting research in the countries of Central Asia, Western Europe, Russia, China, Mongolia, Turkey, the USA, Canada, etc.
Research Institute staff members are members of international professional networks - European Society of Marketing Research Professionals ESOMAR (www.esomar.org), World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR), Association of Turkic Sociologists, WVS (World Values Survey).
In 2018, the Institute became a member of WVS -7, having conducted values survey of the seventh wave in Kazakhstan. World Values Survey Research Program is the world's largest international scientific program and research network in the field of sociology and social sciences in general, as well as a project to study value systems and values change in particular. In May 2018, the Public Opinion Research Institute and the World Values Survey Research Organization (Austria, Vienna) held a Scientific workshop "The World Values Survey (1981-2018): Exploring the Cultural Change. Organization, History, Findings". The WVSA President prof. Christian Haerpfer and Head of the WVSA Secretariat Dr. Kseniya Kizilova made a speech at the Scientific workshop.
In its research, the Public Opinion Institute is guided by ESOMAR standards and norms (www.esomar.org). A number of Institute staff members completed Kansas University ethics courses on working with respondents and received a Certificate (Collaborative institutional training initiative (CITI Program) Certificate).
The Institute has a permanent interviewer network in Kazakhstan and in the countries of Central Asia, maintains partnerships with research institutions of the CIS countries and other countries of the world.
The special activity of the Public Opinion Research Institute is scientific work. The Institute employees constantly participate in academic fundamental research and regularly publish articles in various scientific journals of the world. Stuff members go on internships and exchange experience in international specialized organizations in partnership with a number of leading analytical structures in the world. In addition, undergraduate students, graduate students and PhD students from leading universities of Kazakhstan and several foreign countries undergo internships at the Institute.
The Research Institute conducts sociological researches using quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting information. The Institute conducts research using tablets, laptops, mobile phones.
The Institute's sociologists are developing new research methods, including research methods in the form of sociological expeditions, using interdisciplinary methods in order to solve complex research problems. Experts in various areas are additionally involved when it is necessary.
The Institute regularly holds Expert Meetings with famous researchers, experts and scientists from around the world. Scientists, researchers, representatives of state and non-state analytical structures, graduate and doctoral students are invited. Expert meetings have been held since 2012.
Within the framework of the VII and VIII Astana Economic Forum (May 2014, May 2015), a panel session "Public Perception of Eurasian Integration" was held, organized by the Center for Integration Studies of the Eurasian Development Bank and the Public Opinion Research Institute.
Since 2016, the Institute regularly conducts Scientific seminars on migration in partnership with the School of Sciences and Humanities of Nazarbayev University.
In its work, the Public Opinion Research Institute uses various methods of information collecting
Quantitative methods for information collecting:
– Personal interviews (face-to-face)
– Telephone interviews
– Panel research
– Exit-poll
Qualitative methods for information collecting:
– Focus groups
– In-depth interviews
– Narrative biographical interviews
– Desk research
– Retail Audit
– Hall-test
– Mystery Shopping
– Observations
– Expert polls
– International Expert polls
RESEARCH PROJECTS OF THE INSTITUTE:
WORLD VALUES SURVEY – WAVE 7 (2017-2018).
World Values Research is an international project that studies the cultural and value orientations of society. The study has been conducted since 1941 and, according to the data for 2018, six waves were conducted in more than 90 countries. In 2018, the Public Opinion Research Institute took part in the seventh wave of the survey. The purpose of this survey is to study the values and beliefs of people, their stability or changes over time, as well as their impact on the social and political development of society. The survey involved 1200 respondents who are citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan over 18 years old, living in 14 regions and Nur-Sultan, Almaty and Shymkent cities.
YOUTH OF CENTRAL ASIA 2014-2015.
Research project of the Representative Office of Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation in Central Asia, aimed at studying the young generation of the Central Asian region in today's reality: its lifestyle, attitudes and values, the level of self-identification and tolerance towards other people, determining its moods and aspirations, as well as its attitude to politics and ongoing integration with neighboring countries. Project 2014-2016 was held in conjunction with the Public Opinion Research Institute. The study focuses on young people aged 14 to 29 years. The survey was conducted in Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan with a sample of 1000 respondents in each country, under the direction of the Public Opinion Research Institute jointly with research institutes of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
TURKBAROMETER – A SURVEY IN TURKIC-SPEAKING COUNTRIES (2017-2018).
The Turkbarometer project was launched in 2017 in the Turkic-speaking countries: Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, commissioned by the International Turkic Academy. The subject of the research is the interests of the population of Turkic-speaking countries regarding self-identification, language, culture and cultural landscape, literature, science and education, sports, nature, customs and rituals of Turkic-speaking countries. The second nationwide survey was conducted in July-August, 2018 in five Turkic-speaking countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. The survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1000 respondents interviewed in each country. The total number of respondents was 5084. The survey was conducted among representatives of state-forming Turkic-speaking ethnic groups as Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, Kyrgyzs, Turks, and Uzbeks. The study was conducted by an international team of researchers from five countries participating in the project. The results of the study were presented to the Presidents of Turkic-speaking countries at the VI Summit of the Heads of State of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, held in Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyzstan) in September, 2018.
SOCIOLOGICAL EXPEDITIONS TO STUDY THE KAZAKH DIASPORA
Sociological studies of ethnic Kazakhs' life living abroad are carried out since 2005 according to the methodology developed by the employees of the Kazakh diaspora study. Surveys were conducted in Western Europe (since 2005 to the present), Saudi Arabia (2009), Turkey (since 2008 to the present), Mongolia (2011, 2019), China (2012-2019. ), Uzbekistan (2013), Altai Republic and the Altai Territory of the Russian Federation (2014), Novosibirsk and Omsk Regions of the Russian Federation (2015), Orenburg Region (2016), Astrakhan Region (2017), Saratov and Volgograd areas (2018) and in several other countries.
Annual sociological research was conducted among the Kazakh diaspora for 9 years by order of the Ministry of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Sociological expeditions were carried out in Mongolia (2011), China (2012), Uzbekistan (2013), and Russia - in Altai Republic and Altai Territory (2014), in Omsk and Novosibirsk Regions (2015), in Orenburg Region (2016), Astrakhan region (2017), in Saratov and Volgograd regions (2018), the Kyrgyz Republic (2019). During the sociological expedition, surveys of ethnic Kazakhs, in-depth and narrative interviews are conducted, a photo and video bank are being collected.
PROJECT "SUMMARY ANALYTICAL RESEARCH ON DIASPORAL POLICY AND STUDY OF PROBLEMS OF KAZAKHS LIVING ABROAD (RUSSIAN FEDERATION, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN, CHINESE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, MONGOLIA)"
A project on the topic of "Services for conducting analytical studies on the issues of diasporal policy and studying the problems of Kazakhs living abroad (Russian Federation, Republic of Uzbekistan, People's Republic of China, Federal Republic of Germany, the United States of America, Mongolia)" was commissioned by a Non-Profit Joint-Stock Company the "Otandastar Foundation" in 2019. The purpose of the sociological research is the study of the socio-economic status and well-being of the Kazakh diaspora living abroad (Russian Federation, Republic of Uzbekistan, People's Republic of China, Federal Republic of Germany, the United States of America, Mongolia). The research methodology is based on the integrated use of quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting information (1300 interviews with ethnic Kazakh respondents were interviewed, 300 in-depth interviews).
PROJECT "SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN AFFECTED BY MIGRATION IN CENTRAL ASIA"
In 2019, the Institute's working group carried out a research project commissioned by the United Nations Children's Fund in Kazakhstan (UNICEF) and the Public Policy and Management Institute (Vilnius, Lithuania) on the topic "Situational analysis of children affected by migration in Central Asia". This study was conducted in the Russian Federation by the Higher School of Economics and the Republic of Kazakhstan by the Public Opinion Research Institute. This project is part of a large-scale program of the United Nations Children's Fund and the European Union on the protection of children affected by migration in Central Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The main goal of the study is to bring to the agenda the issue of children affected by migration in Central Asia in order to effectively identify their needs for protection, promote their rights and make recommendations on how to address these issues.
The study was conducted according to a unified methodology developed jointly by representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund in Kazakhstan, the Public Policy and Management Institute, Public Opinion Research Institute working group, and Russian researchers. Sample in Kazakhstan consists 200 surveys of migrant workers and their children in various categories, who came from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as 75 surveys of experts and organizations.
PIAAC - Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competences (2016-2017)
PIAAC is a unique international project, the purpose of which is to evaluate and compare the basic skills and competencies of the working-age adult population. The program is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and implemented by the Consortium, which includes leading international organizations in the field of education (Westat, cApStAn, ROA, GESIS, DIPF, IEA). Adult skills assessment has been carried out in the world since 1995. The PIAAC program has been implemented in 24 countries, including the UK, the USA, Australia, South Korea, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia and others. The PIAAC project is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The national coordinator of PIAAC in Kazakhstan is JSC Information and Analytical Center of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan first participated in the PIAAC program in 2016. A test study was conducted by the Public Opinion Research Institute in 2016 to test the tools (1765 respondents aged 16-65 years old, the survey was conducted on laptops, the average interview length was 3 hours).
A part of the main study was conducted by the Public Opinion Research Institute (1,720 respondents aged 16-65 years old, the survey was conducted on laptops, the average interview length was 3 hours) in 2017. The OECD presented the Comparative Country Report (PIAAC international report) in 2019, based on the results of a study.