Overview
The goal of the Online Commons is to improve the quality and scientific value of each of our data collections, to encourage the submission of new ideas, and to make such experiences more beneficial to and enjoyable for individual investigators.
The Online Commons is open to anyone who wants to make constructive contributions to the design of ANES data collections. Any Internet user can view the Online Commons, but posting something may only be done by people who have registered for Online Commons membership. Learn how to register on the Online Commons registration page.
After registering, members may write proposals advocating for the inclusion of new questions in the questionnaires or suggesting that we continue to ask questions that have been asked in the past or suggesting that particular questions not be asked again. Members are also eligible to post comments about each proposal, and proposal authors can update or revise their proposals in response to advice they receive.
Design of the ANES has always involved public input, but with the Online Commons, we do so more openly and effectively than ever before, promoting public discussion about the suitability of particular questions before they are included in surveys.
The Online Commons allows ANES decision-making to be open, transparent, and constructive. The Online Commons constitutes a forum for scholars to offer each other constructive feedback, a forum for mentoring graduate students or junior faculty, a vehicle for improving and amending proposals, and an opportunity to measure the extent to which a particular proposal is supported by previous empirical work, current theory, and/or a sizeable scholarly community. Interaction on the Online Commons is a critical mechanism for building and maintaining the ANES as an innovative and broadly-relevant scientific instrument, while also enhancing the effectiveness of related studies.