Directors Cut Sessions

At a moment when survey research is being tested, transformed, and reimagined, the Directors Cut Sessions at the AAPOR 81st Annual Conference take on the biggest questions facing our field. From AI’s disruptive promise and qualitative innovation to representation, dissemination, and the urgent challenge of rebuilding trust, these sessions bring together diverse leaders for candid, critical, and deeply practical conversations. Expect rigor, honest exchange, and space to wrestle with what comes next—for our methods, our data, and the public we serve.

See what each of the chairs have to say about what’s in store for their Directors Cut Session.

Directors Cut #1: Survey Methods and Data Science

“In a rapidly evolving technological and socio-political landscape, our field is facing insecurity, but can also provide guidance. What excites us about the Director’s Cut Session on Survey Methods & Data Science is that it brings together a broad spectrum of perspectives and experiences with AI in our field and dedicates lots of space to honest, critical, and constructive exchange among them. We are also really excited because we are flipping the script in this session, giving the audience a chance to ‘be the panelists’ to speak of their own experiences in adapting to these new technologies. We hope that all who attend will leave the session with more insights and ideas about how survey researchers can navigate this new reality.”

Directors Cut #1 Chairs

Trent Buskirk, Old Dominion University
Leah Von Der Heyde, GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences

Directors Cut #2: Nonprobability and Probability Sampling

“Survey research faces a moment of reckoning. High-profile polling misses, disagreements among surveys that seem like they should align, and growing public skepticism have raised persistent questions about which surveys people should trust. At the same time, demand for survey data has not waned. Businesses increasingly rely on customer surveys, and academic disciplines continue to turn to online samples for fast, affordable data collection. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence adds both promise and disruption—fueling speculation about whether AI could one day replace surveys altogether, while also complicating data quality through increasingly sophisticated bots and click-farm activity.”

Directors Cut #2 Chairs

Paul Scanlon, National Center for Health Statistics
Jon Krosnick, Stanford University

Directors Cut #3: Large Language Models and Qualitative Methods

“AI introduces a fundamental shift in how we conduct and analyze qualitative research. This session explores the intersection of traditional qualitative rigor and the transformative scale of AI. We are moving beyond the hype to examine how LLMs can actually strengthen the depth, diversity, and integrity of qualitative insights.”

Directors Cut #3 Chairs

Heather Ridolfo, U.S. Energy Information Administration
Emily Geisen, Associate Chair

Directors Cut #4: Representation and Dissemination: Leveraging Small Domain Estimation and Cross-Cultural Research

“Across the survey lifecycle, representation is both a technical challenge and a responsibility. This Directors Cut session brings together researchers who are redefining how we generate and share statistics that meaningfully reflect the people and communities we study. From small domain estimation and cross‑cultural methods to mixed‑methods innovation and thoughtful approaches to respondent protections, our speakers will explore what it takes to produce data that is granular, trustworthy, and truly grounded in lived experience. As sample sizes shrink, response rates decline, and expectations for relevance grow, this session invites us to think critically about how we design, estimate, and disseminate information that resonates with the populations it aims to represent.”

Directors Cut #4 Chairs

Morgan Earp, Conference Chair
Mandy Sha, Chief Research Scientist

Directors Cut #5: Polling, Official Statistics & Public Trust: Reinforcing the Public Value and Accessibility of Official Data

“We’re excited about this session because it goes straight at one of the biggest issues facing our field right now: trust. Polling and official statistics are part of the country’s decision-making infrastructure, but that only works if people believe the numbers, understand what they mean, and can actually use them. Bringing together federal, state, nonprofit, and private perspectives lets us look at the full ecosystem and get specific about what strengthens credibility and what gets in the way.”

Directors Cut #5 Chairs

Jenny Hunter Childs, U.S. Census Bureau
Stephanie Coffey, U.S. Census Bureau