By Jon Pammett, Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Political Science
Alan Frizzell, Associate Professor (retired), who died in Scotland this month, was a pioneer in Canada of the adaptation of survey research to journalism. He, along with Tony Westell, established the Carleton University Survey Centre at a time when there were relatively few public opinion resources available to print and electronic media. Appearing in the media frequently, he helped to legitimize the application of statistical data to news reporting. Equally important, Alan involved dozens of colleagues, in Journalism and other departments, and hundreds of students, in survey work. He always insisted that correct procedures be used, and that conclusions needed to strictly follow the findings, but delivered that message in a spirit of comradeship, which made the message effective. He was a wonderful ambassador for the university in teaching, in Canada and abroad (for example in training projects in statistical data analysis in Russia in the early 1990s.)
Alan was instrumental in gaining for Carleton the Canadian membership in the International Social Survey Programme in 1991, when this important international survey initiative was in its infancy, and carried out many comparative surveys under its banner. With others, he began and contributed to the Canadian General Election series of books, a series which endures to the current time.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016 in Communication News, Journalism News, News
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