The SAGE Handbook of Public Opinion Research

PART ONE: HISTORY PHILOSOPHY OF PUBLIC OPINION AND PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH /The Public and Public Opinion in Political Theories /The Deliberating Public and Deliberative Polls /The News as a Reflection of Public Opinion /Advocacy: Alternative Expressions of Public Opinion/Studying Elites vs. Mass Opinion /The Internet as a New Platform for Expressing Opinions and as a New Public Sphere /Popular Communication and Public Opinion /The Historical Roots of Public Opinion Research /Mass-observation and Modern Public Opinion Research /The Start of Modern Public Opinion Research /Public Opinion Research in Emerging Democracies /PART TWO: THEORIES OF PUBLIC OPINION FORMATION AND CHANGE/Knowledge and Attitudes /Conceptions of Attitudes and Opinions /Theories on the Perception of Social Reality /Pluralistic Ignorance and Nonattitudes /Spiral of Silence Theory /Public Opinion and the Third-person Effect /Effects of the News Media on Public Opinion /Agenda-setting Framing and Priming /PART THREE: METHODOLOGY/The Methodological Strengths and Weaknesses of Survey Research /The Uses and Misuses of Polls /Face-to-face Surveys /Surveys by Telephone /Self-administered Paper Questionnaires /Internet Surveys/Different Survey Modes and International Comparisons /Sampling /Survey Non-response /Split ballots as an Experimental Approach to Public Opinion Research/Panel Surveys /Focus Groups and Public Opinion /Content Analyses and Public Opinion Research /Designing Reliable and valid Questionnaires /The Psychology of Survey Response /The use of Scales in Surveys /The use of Visual Materials in Surveys /Validation Studies /Identifying Value Clusters in Societies/PART FOUR: THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT OF PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH /The Legal Status of Public Opinion Research in the World/Attitudes of the Public Towards Public Opinion Research and Polling/Attitudes of Journalists Toward Public Opinion Research/Codes of Ethics and Standards in Survey Research /Archiving Poll Data/The News Media's use of Opinion Polls /The use of Surveys by Governments and Politicians /The use of Public Opinion Research in Propaganda /The Effects of Published Polls on Citizens /PART FIVE: SPECIAL FIELDS OF APPLICATION/The use of Surveys as Legal Evidence /Public Opinion and the Economy /Marketing Research/Social Indicators and the Quality of Life /Assessing Long-term Value Changes in Societies /Exit Polls and Pre-election Polls /International Comparative Surveys/Their Purpose Content and Methodological Challenges/The use of Voter Research in Campaigns