Announcing the AAPOR 2027 Conference Theme
09/02/2026
The AAPOR Conference Committee is pleased to announce the theme of the AAPOR 82nd Annual Conference: Innovation with Purpose: Advancing the Science of Public Opinion Research in the Era of AI, Automation, and Scale.
The 2027 conference is dedicated to exploring how our field purposefully adapts to a rapidly changing technological landscape while honoring our 82-year legacy of being the preeminent organization for promoting and defending the science of public opinion research. I can’t think of a more fitting place for this than in the “Silicon Hills” of Austin, Texas—a city that has embraced technological innovation while staying true to its culture and promise to “Keep Austin weird.”
Throughout our history, AAPOR has repeatedly navigated existential questions about changing methodologies. We’ve all heard the variation of “Is [X method] dead?” before. Yet, new techniques rarely render the old ones entirely obsolete. When (and if) they are proved valid, they typically build off existing methods and expand our toolkit, not replace it.
While innovation is vital to progress, adopting new technology simply because it exists is not innovation. Real innovation isn’t limited to machine learning or new automated tools; it can exist across every facet of public opinion research.
The challenge for our industry isn’t just adopting the newest tools but understanding their value and limitations. What do we gain? What do we lose? Why would we use this method over another? What are the trade-offs? We must also answer these questions while operating in a complex environment shaped by real-world issues such as shrinking budgets, workforce shifts, the rise of misinformation and fake data, and the declining trust in public institutions.
As we build this year’s conference program, we won’t shy away from innovation out of hesitation, but we won’t blindly accept it out of hype either. My challenge to our organization, our members, and the greater public opinion and survey research community this year is to innovate with purpose, whether that is exploring new methods or refining traditional ones. Here is a preview of how you’ll see this theme incorporated into the 2027 conference experience:
- Two Keynotes: Instead of our traditional single plenary session, we are hosting two keynote addresses from leaders who innovate with purpose in their everyday work. We are excited to welcome Roberto Rigobon (Professor of Applied Economics, Sloan School, MIT) on Wednesday, May 12, and Courtney Kennedy (Senior Vice President, U.S. Public Affairs, Ipsos) on Thursday, May 13.
- Integrated Program Tracks: Rather than having LLM/AI as a standalone track as we’ve done the past couple of years, we are integrating AI, machine learning, and new automated methods across the traditional conference tracks wherever they naturally fit. The goal isn’t to look at AI for its own sake, but to see how it’s used to answer specific research questions.
- On-Theme Abstracts: When abstract submissions open, we will invite research across all tracks that applies fresh thinking to real-world research problems. Intentional innovation can take many forms: developing new methodologies, adapting familiar tools to solve modern challenges, or streamlining processes to reduce cost or save time. We invite submissions that share empirical findings, critical evaluations, and clear methodological value.
I look forward to seeing you all there for AAPOR 2027!
Emily Geisen
AAPOR 2027 Conference Chair