Welcome to the Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR)
In the past two years the Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR) has expanded its capacity to respond to a variety of research applications. The BOSR is located in
Benton Hall—our home since October 2006. Our main office is located on the first floor in 118 Benton Hall; our project offices and dedicated, 18-station interviewing lab are located on the third floor. While continuing to conduct telephone surveys, the BOSR now supports a number of projects that use in-person interviews, focus groups, Web-based surveys, and scannable questionnaire forms. As a quick overview, some of our current and recent projects are detailed below.
The links at the left will help you navigate through the history of the BOSR, the types of projects we regularly conduct, and information on how we may be able to help you in your research. If the BOSR is new to you or if it has simply been awhile since you've visited us, we hope that you will take some time to become acquainted with our site and learn about the exciting ways we may be able to assist you with your research, today or in the near future.
Upcoming Events
Data, Donuts, Surveys & Solutions
Thanks to everyone who attended our spring and summer Data & Donuts sessions. We invite you to tell us what you thought of the sessions and what would be helpful at future events: bosr@unl.edu. For more information about Data & Donuts, click here.
Some of our Current Projects
Nebraska Game and Parks' State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Survey
The BOSR is administering a mail survey statewide to gain Nebraskans’ opinions and experiences, uses and preferences regarding the state’s parks and recreational resources. If your household recently received a survey packet from us with the Nebraska Game and Parks logo, we ask that the adult (age 19 or older) in your household who most recently celebrated a birthday complete and return the survey to us. If you have questions about this survey or declining your household’s participation, please contact one of our project managers at 1-800-480-4549 or by e-mail to bosr@unl.edu. We look forward to hearing from you and learning how your experiences and opinions shape Nebraska outdoor recreation now and and in the future.
The Role of Creditors’ Committees in Chapter 11 Cases
The BOSR is working with Michelle M. Harner, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Law and adjunct associate professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law, to conduct a mail survey (with Web option) about the role of creditors' committees in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. If you or someone in your firm or company recently received a letter and survey packet from us about our survey for Committee Members or Professionals, we look forward to learning about your experiences and opinions. If you have questions about this research, completing the survey, or who we identified to participate, please contact one of our project managers at 1-800-480-4549 or by e-mail to bosr@unl.edu.
As a preliminary phase of of this research project, BOSR staff helped Professor Harner develop a Web survey interface for coding about 300 chapter 11 case dockets. Overall, this legal scholarship will help to collectively better understand the role of creditors’ committees in the chapter 11 process.
Nebraska Post-School Outcomes Project Survey
The Nebraska Department of Education is again working with the BOSR to conduct telephone interviews with high-school-age students who exited a Nebraska high school during the 2007-2008 school year. This year marks the third year that the NDE and BOSR have collaborated on this project to learn about former students' work and educational experiences since leaving high school. If your household has received a letter from us or a call from one of our telephone interviewers, it is very important that we speak to your household about this study. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 1-800-480-4549 or contact us by e-mail at bosr@unl.edu.
Family Choices Study: Follow-up Survey
We are currently calling back many of the women Penn State and BOSR interviewed about three years ago for the Family Choices Study. This important, longitudinal telephone survey asks women from all sorts of backgrounds about their child-bearing and family-building decisions. If you recently received a letter from us asking for your continued participation, or if you are just curious, click here for more information about this project.
Roadway Materials & Infrastructure Study
The Roadway Materials and Infrastructure Study is being conducted by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Grant. If you are a UNL student in this program and have been invited to participate in this study, click here to complete the survey online.
Recently Completed Projects
Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS). We recently completed data collection for the 31st year of NASIS. We thank all of the Nebraskans who completed this year's NASIS survey. NASIS provides summary data about how Nebraskans think, feel and live. This year's study included questions from state departments, non-profit organizations and the university faculty/departments on such topics as people's driving behaviors at yellow lights, cell phone usage, financial decision making, employment and well-being, nursing homes and doctor visits. For more information about NASIS and its uses click here.
Pilot Study on Crimes against Women. The BOSR recently conducted a telephone survey on crimes against women on behalf of researchers in Nebraska, Mississippi and Ohio. This short telelphone study was led by Dr. David DiLillo, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Using this data and data from the potential long-range project, Dr. DiLillo and his colleagues hope to learn about crimes committed against women between the ages of 18/19 to 25 and discover ways to prevent them.
Nebraska Army National Guard Spouse's Survey. We recently facilitated data collection for a Sociology Ph.D. candidate's survey of Nebraska Army National Guard spouses who had experienced deployment. The BOSR assisted the researcher in designing, mailing and completing data collection using our scannable survey software. Click here if you would like more information about this study.
Nebraska Post-School Outcomes Project Survey. We recently completed data collection for the 2008 Nebraska Post-School Outcomes Project. Our staff is now cleaning the data and preparing reports for the Nebraska Department of Education’s Special Populations Unit. If you were interviewed as part this year's survey, we thank you for helping us learn about students' experiences with work and school since leaving high school. If you would like more information about this multi-year study, please click here.
Political Science Study. We recently called and recruited many of the participants who last summer completed an interview on political issues and behaviors to participate in a second phase of this project. For more information about this study, click here.
Survey on Promoting Success among UNL Faculty. The BOSR recently administered a Web survey with University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty members. If you were part of that study and would like more information, including contact information for the researchers, please click here.
2008 City of Lincoln Budgeting Survey. The BOSR recently completed telephone interviews with about 600 Lincoln residents who weighed in on the City's budgeting process for the Mayor's Office and City Council. For more information about the telephone survey and how these results already have been used to shape the future of Lincoln, please visit the Mayor's Web page at http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/mayor/index.htm and the PPC's Web site at http://ppc.nebraska.edu/.
Aligning Forces for Quality: Assessment of Consumer Engagement. In cooperation with The Pennsylvania State University and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Bureau of Sociological Research recently completed a total of 950 telephone interviews with residents in the Kansas City metropolitan area and in state of Wisconsin to learn more about experiences with the health care system in different communities nationwide. The information obtained from this survey will help to inform improvement efforts in the health care system.
Specialty Cheese Industry Study. An updated Specialty Cheese Report is forthcoming from the UNL Food Processing Center (FPC). Using data collected by BOSR from a telephone survey of specialty cheese producers in the United States, FPC researchers were able to learn more about the specialty cheese market as a whole and gain insight into the types of programs and services that they could develop to assist specialty cheese processors. To access a copy of the 2001 Specialty Cheese Report click here.
Participant Perceptions and Decision-Making Concerning Retirement Benefits Survey. The BOSR recently concluded data collection for this mail survey of individuals who were enrolled in the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System (NPERS) and either retired or terminated employment with the State of Nebraska in 1997. The researcher is currently analyzing the data from this study. For more information about this study, including the latest results, click here.
Nebraska Eating and Physical Activity (NEPAST) Study. In the spring and fall of 2007, BOSR conducted two waves of telephone interviewing with Lancaster County residents to discuss their views about diet and exercise behaviors to learn how opinions and behaviors about diet and exercise had changed in three-months' time. The researcher is currently assessing the data collected from this study.
By the People (BTP) 2007. provided a unique opportunity for Omaha residents to discuss their opinions about immigration and other issues affecting their community, both through a short telephone survey conducted by the BOSR and within a public forum organized by the UNL Public Policy Center (PPC). You can find news articles and air dates for the BTP broadcasts of this event by logging on to the PPC's Web site, http://ppc.nebraska.edu, or calling 402-472-5678. Thanks for voicing your opinions and making this event a great success.
