What the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel Is and How to Inquire About It

The Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel is a probability-based, multi-mode survey panel of New Jersey adults, run by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University in partnership with SSRS. The site presents it as an exclusive panel and directs anyone who wants details to contact ECPIP directly; it does not publish sign-up steps, eligibility rules, or compensation on the page.

What the panel is

"Probability-based" means members are selected through a random sampling process rather than by volunteering, which is the design polling organizations use when they want results that can be generalized to a population. "Multi-mode" means respondents can take part through more than one channel; the site does not specify which modes.

The panel sits alongside ECPIP's other work. The center describes itself as conducting research for all levels of government, nonprofit organizations with a public interest mission, and college and university-based researchers and staff.

How to get more information

The site's only call to action is to contact the center. There is no self-service enrollment form described in the available material. A practical approach:

1. Go to eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu and use the contact information listed for ECPIP.
2. State whether you are a New Jersey resident interested in joining the panel, or an organization interested in fielding research through it.
3. Ask specifically about eligibility, how households are selected, what participation involves, and what modes are used.

Expected result: a direct answer from the center, since panel details are handled through inquiry rather than published documentation.

Where the panel fits in ECPIP's work

The site organizes its offerings into three areas:

• Rutgers-Eagleton Poll press releases — published findings on New Jersey public opinion, including election polling.
• Client services — research conducted for government, nonprofits, and academic researchers.
• Research / Poll Data Archive — archived poll data for secondary use.

The Garden State Panel is the infrastructure behind this kind of work: a standing sample of state adults that can be surveyed repeatedly. Recent published output includes a 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial poll (fielded July 31–August 11, released in August 2025) and health-related polling done with the Quality Institute, including a 2017 Health Matters poll on telehealth experience.

Common sticking points

• Assuming you can just sign up. The page offers no enrollment link; contact is the stated route.
• Confusing the panel with the poll archive. The archive is for reading or reusing published data; the panel is a respondent group.
• Expecting national scope. The panel is defined as New Jersey adults only.
• Looking for cost or compensation details. The available material does not state fees, incentives, or payment terms, so treat those as unknown until ECPIP confirms them.

If your goal is to understand New Jersey public opinion rather than to participate, the press releases and data archive are the more direct resources; the panel is mainly relevant if you want to take part in surveys or commission research through the center.