ANN ARBOR—
Charles F. Cannell, research scientist emeritus at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR) and professor emeritus of communication, has received the 1999 award for exceptionally distinguished achievement from the American Association for Public Opinion Research.
The award, given for outstanding contributions to the field of public opinion research, highlights the major contributions Cannell has made over more than half a century to understanding the social psychology of survey interviews, and the influences on both interviewers and respondents that affect the quality of survey data.
Cannell joined the U-M in 1946 as one of the founders of the Survey Research Center following work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is the co-author, with Robert L. Kahn, of “The Dynamics of Interviewing,” which applies psychological theory to the question-and-answer process. Cannell also headed a program studying problems of measurement errors in surveys and methods for reducing response bias, and in 1952 joined the U-M Department of Journalism, frequently teaching courses in research methods and social science writing. Although he retired in 1984, Cannell has remained active in his profession at the ISR and around the world.
Cannell joins six other ISR scientists who have received the AAPOR award since it was established in 1962. These include Angus Campbell (1962); Rensis Likert (1973); Daniel Katz (1985); Philip Converse (1986); Howard Schuman (1994); and Eleanor Singer (1996).
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Institute for Social ResearchDepartment of Agriculturehttp://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/