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Frequently Asked Questions

  • I got a call or text from the UNF Public Opinion Research Lab -- is this a scam?
    Nope! The Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida is a legitimate, full-service academic survey research facility. We aim to provide a public service by informing our clients and policymakers of public opinions, offering experiential learning to students, and producing research of the highest caliber of academic integrity. Visit the Who We Are page for more information. If you have questions about a specific survey project, please email us at porl@unf.edu.
  • I don’t attend UNF -- why am I being contacted?
    The Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida contacts people across the country to participate in many different types of research projects, and operates independently of the University. If you were contacted by us, it means you were randomly selected to participate in one of our surveys. For more about PORL and our research, check out the Who We Are and Polls & Research pages.
  • How did you get my phone number?
    We source our contact information a few different ways, depending on the project and population of study. For some projects, our numbers are generated using a process called Random Digit Dialing (RDD). We often use public voter registration records, and in some instances, we obtain lists from third-party vendors.
  • I don’t click unknown links -- can I trust the survey link you texted me?
    Yes! We use unique survey links for each respondent to ensure each individual only takes the survey once. Unfortunately, this means the links are too long to send via text message and must be shortened, losing the UNF domain in the shortened version. Our web surveys are hosted by a trusted and secure online survey platform. Once you click the link, you’ll see the UNF.edu or UNFPORL.org domain in the full URL. If you are still unsure, please feel free to contact us to confirm the legitimacy of a text message survey link.
  • I am on the “do not call” list -- why am I getting phone calls/texts?
    The Federal Trade Commission’s "do not call" list applies to telemarketing. We are calling for public opinion research purposes, not selling any product or service. If you do not wish to be contacted for a survey, simply ask the interviewer not to contact you again. This will ensure you aren’t called again for that survey project, but does not guarantee you will not be contacted for a future study. For text messages, reply "STOP," and you will automatically be opted out of future texts.
  • Do I have to participate in the survey?
    Survey participation is completely voluntary, and you can terminate the interview at any time during the interview. If you choose to participate, you are performing a valuable service to your community by sharing your opinions and making your voice heard!
  • Will my information be released publicly or sold to a third party?
    No! Your personally identifiable data will never be released to anyone outside our organization. The data we collect is deidentified and aggregated, so that your responses are anonymous and cannot be traced back to you. Confidentiality of our respondents’ information is a core principle of our survey practices, and we take it very seriously.
  • Why are you asking about my gender, race/ethnicity, or other personal information?
    We collect demographic information from our respondents in ensure we have a sample that is representative of the population we’re studying. Decades of research have told us that certain demographics are highly correlated with voting and other behaviors, and if we did not ask the questions, we would have no way of knowing if the results accurately reflect the population. Of course, you can always skip any question you don’t feel comfortable answering.
  • What will you do with the survey results?
    Depending on the project, we might publish the results in the form of a press release to news outlets, or a report submitted to another organization or government agency. The best place to check for the results of a survey is on our website in the Announcements, or on the Polls & Research page. Please keep in mind that there is often a lot of work to do after data collection, so results may not be published immediately. For more information about a specific survey project, please email us at porl@unf.edu.