Max Kaase receives 2016 WAPOR award

The 2016 World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) presented their top prize to one of the founders of the European Social Survey (ESS), Dr. Max Kaase.

Kaase was announced the winner of the WAPOR Helen Dinerman Award at their 69th annual conference that took place in Austin, Texas, from 10-12 May.

The award is presented to someone who has offered a particularly significant contribution to survey research methodology across their entire career.

Kaase was the co-founder of ESS with Sir Roger Jowell, who picked up the 2005 WAPOR Helen Dinerman Award.

Kaase and Jowell set new standards in comparative survey research marking a scientific breakthrough in survey methodology and collaboration.

ESS has recently recognized Kaase’s contribution by establishing the Jowell-Kaase Early Career Researcher Prize, which will be awarded at this summer’s 3rd International ESS conference in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Kaase received an honorary doctorate from City, University of London in 2004.

Kaase served as executive director of the Mannheim Centre for Survey Research and Methodology (1974-1979) which merged with other institutes to form the GESIS-Leibniz - Institute for the Social Sciences.

He was also vice president of the European Science Foundation, and president of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) from 2003-06.

Dr Rory Fitzgerald, Director of ESS, City University London, said:

“I am delighted that Professor Max Kaase has received the WAPOR Helen Dinerman Award in recognition of his exceptional contribution to cross-national research and survey methodology. His scholarly contribution to comparative politics, political sociology, survey methods and science policy have been truly exceptional.

“As a co-founder of the European Social Survey with Roger Jowell, Max Kaase set new standards in comparative survey research that marked a scientific breakthrough in terms of methodology and effective collaboration. Comparative survey research owes him a debt of gratitude for successfully making the case for scientific rigour in this field.”

The WAPOR Helen Dinerman Award has been presented annually since 1981 in memory of Helen Dinerman’s scientific achievements over three decades of public opinion research.