The Canton Public Opinion Research Center (C-por) is a social organization that is engaged in public opinion research.
Established in 1988, C-por is the earliest social organization for public opinion research in China. In her 30-year history, by conducting polls over long periods of time in various fields as an independent institution, C-por has participated in and witnessed the reform of Chinese society.
C-por is the largest professional platform for public opinion research in China. The large-scale and hi-tech Telephone Interviewing System can handle more than ten million pieces of poll data. The management system for telephone interviews, door-to-door interviews and special interviews supports the work system on a substantial and continuous basis. The Digital Coding System, which is an original creation, allows exact sampling and the construction of a high-capacity and multi-layer data panel. The Survey Department, Research Department, Department of Data Processing and Dissemination Department boast professional teams involved in various fields as Sociology, Economics, Politics, Psychology, Science of Administration, Statistics and Communication Studies. C-por completes over one hundred poll reports annually. Its survey area covers all of China as well as some specified regions designated for certain research tasks. Its unique position in China lies in its capacity to continuously conduct polls in towns and villages at a provincial level.
Possessing high-level technology, C-por has created professional norms and systematic work standards for public opinion research. By grasping the essence of Chinese characters and human traditions based on 20 years’ survey experience and by synthesizing multi-disciplinary expertise as well as learning from preeminent international public opinion research organizations, it has established a rigid research standard, sampling standard, survey standard, data processing standard and code of practice. In the light of the actual situation of China, C-por has innovated the public opinion research theory and integrated the “context” element in the Chinese culture into its research and analysis, and developed a poll technique exclusively owned by Chinese people. It has also innovated the sampling technique, and enhanced the representativeness of sampling in a vast area by utilizing Satellite Remote Sensing and digital network technology.
C-por has been supported by diverse social circles. Its consultant group, which is made up of veterans from the field of politics, authorities from the academic field and other important persons has made an outstanding contribution to its development by continuously providing professional and directional instruction in different ways.
As an independent institution, C-por works under the principle of “self-financing, self-recruitment and self-management”. It uses the Director-General Responsibility System under the leadership of the executive council. With the guiding principle of being “scientific, rigorous, objective and precise”, C-por focuses on polls and research into people’s livelihood and public affairs. Its main task is to reveal the current state, features and trends of public opinion, so as to offer a platform for the government to know the populace better, for the populace to communicate with one another, thus gaining greater social consensus.
As the analyst of public opinion, the C-por’s purpose is to truthfully reflect, express and convey the voices of the public, and to offer basic public information to the government, humanity research centers and other organizations.
