Public Opinion Polls coverage in Odesi
In terms of geographic coverage, the main focus in this collection is Canada and Canadians. Every Canadian province and territory is accounted for in the collection. There are also polls that report on the opinions of people living in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Provincial coverage for public opinion polls in Odesi (https://odesi.ca) as of September 2018.
Polling in Canada didn’t really begin until the 1940s, and didn’t become a widespread tool until the 1980s – especially during election campaigns. There are POPs in Odesi that cover the years 1945, 1949, 1951, and then 1953-2017 consecutively. In other words, the Odesi POP collection includes 64 consecutive years of Canadian opinion data.
Our most complete historical series would be the Gallup Polls, the only series that covers pre-1970s. The Environics, CROP, and Decima Quarterly series cover the late 1970s and the 1980s, when POPs started becoming more imminent in Canadian public discourse. Most of the Odesi POP collections span the dates of 1997 to 2017, making the last 20 years a rich source of recent data from the 1198 polls (and counting) available, covering topics from drones to climate change.
Above is the self-reported voting behaviour of Canadians for federal elections from 1940 to 2015. The data was pulled from multiple unweighted polls. In some cases, the questions asked of respondents varies from poll to poll. Hover over the data in the chart to view the literal questions asked of respondents from year to year. To compare with official election results, please consult Elections Canada, or the Library of Parliament for elections prior to 1997.
Popular Topics
Below are some popular topics found in Odesi POP collection. Click on the links to view sample searches.
A prominent subject area for public opinion polls, the collection in Odesi touches on politics at all levels of government. Not only does the collection have stated voting behaviour data for every federal election since 1940, you can also check out Scholars Portal’s featured collections for polls reporting on Ontario elections across several decades.
Covering everything from Canadian opinions on Hockey Night in Canada announcers, to the significance of Vimy Ridge in Canadian history, to the importance of various brands to Canadian identity, this category will be of interest to several academic disciplines looking to explore Canadian thought on heritage, art, history, and identity over time.
A catch all term for various aspects of environmental studies, the “environment” category covers polls that touch on climate change, Canada’s natural environment and parks, natural resources, the politics of energy, pollution, perceptions of environmentalist groups, and even the effectiveness of preferred weather services.
In this category researchers can explore polls related to the politics of healthcare, especially around the time of provincial elections, perceived effectiveness of healthcare services across provinces, and Canadian opinions on healthcare spending. Also included in this category are polls touching on health care professionals and popular views of illness, fitness, and health. For a historical perspective, sort the polls by date, and go back to the 1960s to find Canadian opinions on incoming universal healthcare.
Another popular topic in provincial election polls, the education topic covers the perceived quality of education, the effectiveness of school systems, and issues surrounding teachers and other education professionals. Some polls also cover various levels of education including elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions. “Education” can also mean the education completed by respondents, something asked in most polls going back to the 1940s.
Another broad subject category, this topic is present in almost every poll. Topics in this category include perceptions and opinions on the Canadian economy, unemployment rates, international trade, and trade agreements. Another interesting facet is the composition of the Canadian workforce, and changes of its composition over time.