An Introduction to AAPOR: 

A Meeting Place and More

Membership & Chapter Relations

Morgan Earp &

Adam Safir

February 5, 2021
Helen Crossley: Author, first edition

• A founding member of both AAPOR and 

WAPOR

• Graduate of the University of Denver (1948)

• Worked in radio audience measurement

• First female President of WAPOR (1960-62)

• Secretary-Treasurer of AAPOR

• President of DC-AAPOR (1977)

• Winner of the inaugural DC-AAPOR 

Outstanding Achievement Award (2007)

• Among many other accomplishments!
Membership & Chapter Relations

Co-authors

• Past Chairs of AAPOR Membership & Chapter Relations (Adam 2011-

2012; Morgan 2017-2018)

• DC-AAPOR Past Presidents (Adam 2007; Morgan 2015)

• DC-AAPOR Past Program Chair (Morgan 2012)

Contributors

Karen Goldenberg, Kyley McGeeney, Mandy Sha, Gretchen McHenry, 

Ana Gonzalez, Justine Bulgar-Medina, Margaret R. Roller, Randal Ries, 

Ipek Bilgen, Jennifer Dineen, Mira Rao, Krista Jenkins, Nicole Lee, 

Tamara Terry, David Kashihara, & Tom W. Smith
Membership – 1st Edition (1992)

1. What Is an AAPOR Member?

2. Types of Membership

3. Directories of AAPOR Members

4. Characteristics of AAPOR Members

5. Why AAPOR?

6. Why Not AAPOR?

7. Chapters
Membership & Chapter Relations – 2nd 

Edition (2020)

1. Membership Overview 

2. Membership & Chapter Relations 

Committee

3. Membership Types

4. Membership Community (Directory)

5. Membership Growth & Recruitment

6. Membership Engagement

7. Membership Characteristics

8. Student- & Early-Career- Recruitment 

& Retention

9. Membership Diversity

10. Regional Chapters

11. Membership Satisfaction and 

Summary
Affinity Groups & Diversity

• Cross-cultural and multilingual research affinity group, 2016 

• Gay AAPOR (GAAPOR), 2012

• The Hispanic/Latino/Latinx affinity 

group (HISP-AAPOR), 2016

• Qualitative Research AAPOR 

(QUALPOR), early 2000s

Women in AAPOR Leadership

Pictured: Diane Colasanto, Kathy Frankovic, Nancy Mathiowetz, 

Nancy Belden, Nora Cate Schaeffer, and Mollyann Brodie

Photo contributed by Kyley McGeeney

Affinity Groups
Membership & Chapter Relations 

Committee

• In 1981, AAPOR created an official membership committee responsible for 

handling both membership relations and chapter affairs. 

• Responsibilities: recruiting and retaining members; communicating and 

supporting the chapters; connecting volunteers with committees; reporting 

to Executive Council on membership trends, composition, and retention; 

identifying new member benefits; conducting surveys of AAPOR members; 

and providing committees with information about potential volunteers. 

• Composition: Chair, Associate Chair, 8 subcommittee chairs, and all 

subcommittee members (approximately ~45 individuals).
Membership & Chapter Relations 

Subcommittees

1. Chapter Liaison and Support Subcommittee

2. Data Analysis and Reporting Subcommittee

3. Diversity Subcommittee

4. Membership Communications Subcommittee

5. Student Engagement Subcommittee

6. Volunteer Coordination Subcommittee

7. Roper and Student Travel Awards Subcommittee

8. Database Improvement Subcommittee (new)
Challenges & Solutions

1. Missing membership information by year

University of Chicago designated a student intern to scan and upload archival records

2. Missing variables or inconsistent record keeping by year

AAPOR volunteers combed past issues of POQ for published business meeting notes

3. Missing person level data by year

Determined that demographic data missing predominantly due to error in join 

process

4. Demographic data from the 2017 & 2018 membership survey not 

incorporated until 2019

Demographic data from the 2017 through 2020 membership survey were matched 

and imported into the membership database for consenting survey respondents 

(after the release of the report)
Membership Overview

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Number of Members
Membership Affiliation 0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020

Number of Members

Academic

For Profit

Government

Non Profit

Other

Retired

Self Employed

Consultant

Not Employed

Missing
Membership by Gender

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

2010 2012 2017 2018 2019 2020

Female Male Non-Binary Missing
Membership by Race

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2010 2012 2017 2018 2019 2020

American Indian /

Alaskan Native

Asian

Black / African

American

Native Hawaiian /

Pacific Islander

Other

White /

Caucasian

Missing Race
Membership by Ethnicity

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

2010 2012 2017 2018 2019 2020

Hispanic Missing
Membership Average Age

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

40

45

50

55

60

2010 2012 2017 2018 2019 2020

Average Age Missing
Membership by Education

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

2010 2012 2017 2018 2019 2020

Doctoral Degree Master’s Degree Bachelor’s Degree Other Missing Education
Thank you!

Questions?