The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been home to the Bureau of Sociological Research, which has provided research assistance to faculty, staff, students, government and other clients since 19664. BOSR specializes in survey methodology, with broad, real-world impacts in academia, government, marketing, public policy, public health, program evaluation and nonprofit and for-profit enterprises. It operates as a one-stop research shop, developing and managing mail, web telephone and in-person surveys and focus groups.
Bio
Kristen Olson is Leland J. and Dorothy H. Olson Professor in Sociology and director of the Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR). Her research focuses on survey methods, with a particular focus on why measurement, nonresponse, and coverage errors occur in surveys, as well as survey costs.
The bureau specializes in collecting data to address research and evaluation needs. It provides research assistance to the State of Nebraska and UNL faculty, departments, administrative units and students, among other clients. (Updated March 2025)
Bio
Dona-Gene Barton’s research and teaching interests involve American political behavior. Drawing heavily on relevant psychological perspectives while keeping the real world of politics in sight, her work focuses on better understanding how and how well citizens use political information to inform their judgments. Her current projects aim to enable improved assessment of the temporal dynamics of opinion formation by exploring the interrelationships among information, campaigns and time. Her research is the first of its kind to use a panel experimental design to better understand the lifespan of information effects as citizens navigate the political world. She frequently conducts interviews about ongoing campaigns, elections and political scandals from the perspective of how they affect public opinion. (Updated March 2025)