New White Paper on Survey Costs Released
08/06/2026
The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) is pleased to announce the release of Survey Costs: Summary and Commentary from the 2026 Survey Costs Workshop, a new white paper that explores one of the most important—and often least understood—factors influencing survey research.
Based on discussions from the 2026 Survey Costs Workshop, held February 9–10 in Bethesda, Maryland, the report captures insights from approximately 100 survey researchers, methodologists, statisticians, field operations leaders, and finance professionals representing organizations across the survey research community and identifies key challenges, emerging best practices, and priorities for advancing research on survey costs.
Survey costs shape virtually every aspect of a survey project—from planning and budgeting to sample design, data collection, processing, and reporting. Yet despite their critical role, costs remain understudied, and organizations often lack common approaches for defining, measuring, and evaluating them. This white paper represents an important first step toward developing a shared research agenda and fostering greater transparency and consistency in how survey costs are understood and communicated.
Among the report’s key takeaways:
- Survey costs extend far beyond data collection. Cost considerations influence every stage of the survey lifecycle and should be incorporated into planning, design, implementation, and evaluation.
- Greater transparency is needed in cost reporting. While universal cost definitions remain challenging, organizations should clearly communicate what costs are included or excluded and how they are measured when sharing cost information.
- Available cost data are valuable—even when imperfect. Existing accounting, HR, and operational systems were not designed for methodological research, but organizations should use the best information available to inform decisions rather than waiting for perfect data.
- The value of survey research extends beyond its price tag. The report emphasizes that surveys should be evaluated not only by their costs, but also by their immediate utility and their broader societal impact.
In addition to summarizing the major themes that emerged from the workshop, the white paper outlines 12 recommendations to help organizations strengthen their internal understanding of survey costs, improve cost-quality decision making, encourage greater transparency, and support future research across the profession.
AAPOR thanks the workshop organizers, presenters, participants, and fellow sponsoring organizations—including the American Statistical Association, Westat, SSRS, Miravoice, and the International Association of Survey Statisticians—for their contributions to this important initiative.
We invite members and the broader survey research community to explore the report and consider how its findings can inform future research, organizational practices, and conversations about balancing survey costs, quality, and value.