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EnglishWhat kinds of polling and research services does the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling provide?
Updated
The Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University conducts survey research for all levels of government, nonprofit organizations with a public-interest mission, and college and university-based researchers and staff. Its work centers on public-interest topics, and the center also offers client research services and maintains a poll data archive. The Rutgers-Eagleton Poll is its best-known public-facing survey series, and the center has introduced the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel, a probability-based, multi-mode panel of New Jersey adults.
Who the center works with
According to the center's own description, ECPIP conducts research for:
- All levels of government — local, state, and federal entities
- Nonprofit organizations with a public-interest mission
- College and university-based researchers and staff
This means the center functions both as a public pollster producing widely cited New Jersey surveys and as a research partner for outside organizations that need survey work done.
Core service areas
Public-interest survey research
The center's stated focus is research on matters of public interest. Its public releases illustrate the range: election polling (such as the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial race), health-related surveys conducted with partners like the Quality Institute, and other policy-relevant topics. These polls are released publicly and covered by news media.
Client research services
The site lists a "Client Services" section describing client research services. Organizations that fit the eligibility described above — government bodies, public-interest nonprofits, and academic researchers — can contact the center to learn more about commissioning or collaborating on research.
The Garden State Panel
ECPIP has introduced the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel, described as an exclusive, probability-based, multi-mode panel of New Jersey adults. Probability-based means panel members are recruited through random sampling rather than voluntary sign-up, which supports statistical representativeness. Multi-mode means data collection can happen through more than one method. The site directs interested parties to contact the center to learn more.
Poll data archive
The center maintains a Poll Data Archive, listed under "Research" on the site. This is the entry point for anyone who wants to examine past survey data rather than commission new work — useful for journalists, students, and academic researchers doing secondary analysis.
How to decide whether to use it
| If you need… | Relevant offering |
|---|---|
| Publicly released New Jersey opinion data | Rutgers-Eagleton Poll releases and the data archive |
| A research partner for a survey on a public-interest topic | Client research services (contact the center) |
| Access to a standing New Jersey adult sample | Garden State Panel (contact the center) |
| Historical poll data for analysis | Poll Data Archive |
The main condition to check before reaching out is eligibility: the center describes its client work as serving government, public-interest nonprofits, and academic researchers. If your organization falls outside those categories, the public releases and data archive remain available regardless.
A note on how the center frames polling quality
In a news item on the site, ECPIP director Ashley Koning addressed criticism of polls after an election: "The whole reason we have polls is to have data instead of anecdotes… You really have to put the data first." This reflects the center's positioning — it presents itself as a source of systematic data on New Jersey public opinion, not as a partisan or advocacy operation. For readers evaluating the center as a research partner, that framing, plus the probability-based panel design, are the relevant signals to weigh.