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NORC at the University Chicago

Ned English

Pronouns: He/Him

Associate Director
Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences
Ned is recognized for his expertise in geospatial applications in survey research and address-based sampling (ABS).

Ned is associate director of the Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences department at NORC at the University of Chicago. Formally trained as a geographer, he has diverse theoretical and applied experience in the areas of GIS and data analysis with respect to survey methodology and sample design, especially in the context of address-based sampling (ABS). Ned is considered a leader in address-based sampling (ABS) for single and multi-mode surveys. His approaches typically include using extant data sources at multiple geographic levels to enhance geocoded address frames to improve survey efficiency and coverage. Ned also leads critical internal initiatives including the NORC National Frame and the FrameLab program which spearheads ABS-focused research.

He also leads the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team at NORC which has been responsible for GIS and geospatial analyses for most major NORC projects, including the General Social Survey (GSS), the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), and the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE). In addition Ned serves as the lead methodologist on some of the most important studies at NORC, for clients such as the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute on Aging.

His work has been published in numerous journals including The Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology, Public Opinion Quarterly, Field Methods, the Journal of Gerontology, and the American Journal of Public Health in addition to book chapters and conference proceedings. He also was a member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) ABS Task Force and serves as the current chair of the AAPOR Standard Definitions committee.

Prior to NORC, Ned worked as a GIS consultant implementing mapping and spatial solutions for numerous clients in the public and private sectors.

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Expertise

Education

MS

The University of Wisconsin-Madison

BS

McGill University

Appointments & Affiliations

Adjunct Faculty Member

The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy

Honors & Awards

NORC Employee Recognition Award | 2005

NORC at the University of Chicago

Project Contributions

2021 Study of Jewish Los Angeles

Understanding all aspects of the Los Angeles Jewish community

Client:

Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

City of Chicago Census & Data Collaboration

NORC helps the City of Chicago advance equity efforts by ensuring accurate Census counts

Client:

The City of Chicago’s Chief Equity Officer

Exploring the Cultural Lives of Californians

An expanded definition of “the arts” finds more artistic participation

Client:

James Irvine Foundation

Healthy Illinois Survey

One of the largest state-level health surveys in the United States, providing high-resolution information for all of Illinois

Client:

Illinois Department of Public Health

Indiana University’s P2P Health Interviews

Sampling and data collection support for the Person to Person Health Interview Study

Funder:

Indiana University

Making Connections Surveys

A longitudinal and cross-sectional study conducted in low-income neighborhoods in ten U.S. cities

Client:

The Annie E Casey Foundation

National Education & Attainment Survey

Understanding the education and training experiences of adults

Client:

Lumina Foundation

Reproductive Health Experiences & Access

Tracking reproductive health experiences and access in the U.S.

Reproductive Health Impact Study (RHIS)

Examining impact of federal and state policy changes on reproductive health care and patient outcomes

Client:

Guttmacher Institute with funding from a private foundation

Sampling Strategies & Measure Development for the LGBT Aging Project

Honing methods and strategies to recruit and survey a nationally representative sample of older LGBT adults

Client:

National Institute on Aging

State of Illinois Census & Data Collaboration

NORC helps the State of Illinois advance equity efforts by ensuring accurate Census counts

Client:

State of Illinois

Surveys of Women

Tracking reproductive health access, contraceptive use, and abortion prevalence in nine states

Client:

Private foundation focused on education and health issues

The Indiana University Abortion Attitudes Project

A multi-year study aimed at developing and testing measures to assess abortion attitudes

Client:

Indiana University

Publications

Research Library & Findings