Public Policy
Learn how survey research gets done
Professor Don Dillman, an internationally recognized figure in the development of modern census and telephone survey research methods, teaches classes on the applications and methods of research in public policy.
A former senior survey methodologist for the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Professor Dillman doesn't just write books on his research, he wrote the book — the one that's used by everyone else who does research in his field. Mail and Telephone Surveys: The Total Design Method has been cited in more than 1,750 scientific publications.
Become an expert in your own right
Professor Dillman isn't content to simply be an expert himself. He delights in helping his students become experts, too.
“WSU students are an integral part of my research work,” says Dillman.
Students have collaborated with Professor Dillman on experimental research with federal government scientists and have contributed to scholarly articles published in several journals, including the world’s two leading social science research methods journals: Public Opinion Quarterly and Journal of Official Statistics.
Current research
Dillman's current research focuses on understanding how visual layout and design of self-administered questionnaires affect answers to survey questions.
When not in the classroom, Professor Dillman is the deputy director for research and development in the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center at WSU.
Dillman has received numerous awards, including the Roger Herriot Award for innovation in federal statistics in 2000 and the WSU Eminent Faculty Award in 2002.
