World Values Survey

World Values Survey

The World Values Survey forms part of an important long-term, world-wide study of values, and their impact on social and political life. These surveys show pervasive changes in what people want out of life and what they believe. The World Values Survey began in 1985 and now covers 97 countries, representing almost 90 percent of the world’s population. It is sponsored by The Australian National University. The Social Research Centre Pty Ltd, a national social research company conducts the survey on the University's behalf.

Results of past World Values Surveys are available free of charge on the World Values Survey website.

Questionnaires

The questionnaires or survey instruments provide the exact questions that were asked in each election year. In some cases, questions are repeated in each survey so that trends can be observed over a long period of time.

Past questionnaires

Frequently asked questions


What is the World Values Survey?

The World Values Survey 2012 forms part of an important long-term, world-wide study of values, and their impact on social and political life. These surveys show pervasive changes in what people want out of life and what they believe. The World Values Survey began in 1985 and now covers 97 countries, representing almost 90 percent of the world’s population.

Why is the survey conducted?

The World Values Survey is a worldwide investigation of socio-cultural and political change. It is conducted by a network of social scientists at leading universities all around world.

The World Values series of surveys aim to monitor values and cultural changes around the world.  These surveys provide important long-term information on: happiness, development, freedom and other important values across the globe.

Who is conducting the survey in Australia?

In Australia the Social Research Centre Pty Ltd, a national social research company, is conducting the World Values Survey on The Australian National University's behalf.

How did you get my contact details?

The Australian Electoral Commission has provided name and address information for this project in conformity with Item 3 of section 90B(4) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. The information has been provided by the AEC on a confidential basis and may not be forwarded on or sold or otherwise disclosed or used for any purpose other than to contact participants for this project. You were chosen from a scientifically designed random sample of voters listed on the Electoral Roll.

When is the survey conducted and how do I complete it?

Fieldwork for the survey will be conducted from July 25, 2012 to September 13, 2012.

A personalised questionnaire booklet is mailed out to participants at the beginning of fieldwork. The covering letter includes a link to the online questionnaire along with a unique password and username, in case participants would like to complete the survey online.

If you choose to participate, you can complete the survey online. Alternatively you can complete and return the questionnaire booklet and send it back to us in the reply-paid envelope.

Those who have not completed the survey after a week are sent a reminder card mailing to encourage completion. Those who have not completed the survey after around 2 weeks are sent an additional questionnaire booklet with a reply paid envelope. After around two more weeks, those who have not completed the survey yet are sent a final reminder letter.

How long is the survey?

The survey should take around half an hour to complete and your participation is entirely voluntary.

Are my answers confidential?

Yes, your privacy is assured. Your contact details and survey responses will remain confidential.  The information you provide will not be used for any other purpose. Only group responses, not your individual responses, are reported. All names and addresses will be deleted from the survey database at the end of the project.

Do I get any incentives for completing the survey?

Yes, as a thankyou for completing the survey, you will go into the draw for a chance to win one of four prizes worth $500 each. The prizes will be drawn on September 14, 2012. Prize winners will be notified in writing and published in the Australian newspaper on September 21, 2012. Please make sure you complete the survey by no later than September 13, 2012. View the terms and conditions.

  1. Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these Conditions of Entry.
  2. Entry is only open to participants who have completed the World Values Survey 2012. Employees and their immediate families of the Social Research Centre are ineligible for prizes.
  3. The Social Research Centre reserves the right to verify the validity of entries and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Conditions of Entry.
  4. No responsibility will be accepted for late, lost or misdirected entries.
  5. Entrants can only enter once completing the self-completion questionnaire (PDF 560KB) provided or the online survey at http://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/research/projects/polls-and-surveys/wvs
  6. The promotion commences August 9, 2012.
  7. Each eligible respondent will be provided with a unique barcode attached to the questionnaire and a unique username and password to complete the online survey if preferred.
  8. Entries must be received by no later than September 28, 2012. This is the final closing date of the promotion.
  9. Prize draw is to be conducted on September 14, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. at the premises of the Social Research Centre, Level 1, 262 Victoria St, Nth Melbourne Victoria 3051. The prize winner will be selected by electronic draw.
  10. The first 4 valid entries drawn will win a Money Order of $500 each.
  11. All prize winners will be notified in writing before October 5, 2012.
  12. Winners will be published in the Australian newspaper on September 21, 2012.
  13. In the event of there being any unclaimed prizes an unclaimed prize draw will be conducted on January 11, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. at the premises of the Social Research Centre, Level 1, 262 Victoria St, North Melbourne Victoria 3051.
  14. Redrawn winners will be notified by writing before January 18, 2013.
  15. The winners of redrawn prizes will be published in the Australian newspaper on January 18, 2012.
  16. The Promoter accepts no responsibility if the Money Order has been lost, stolen or forged, damaged or tampered with in any way.
  17. The Promoter will confirm entrants’ personal information in order to issue the Money Orders.  If the information requested is not provided, the entrant may not be eligible to win the prize.  However, entrants’ personal information will NOT be disclosed to any party other than the Promoter for any future promotional, marketing or publicity purposes.  Entrants’ personal information may be disclosed to State and Territory lottery departments and winners’ names published as required under the relevant lottery legislation. A request to access, update or correct any information should be directed to the Promoter at their address set out below.
  18. The Promoter is the Social Research Centre Pty Ltd, Level 1, 262 Victoria St, North Melbourne Victoria 3051. ABN 91 096 153 212.  PERMIT NUMBERS: (NSW: LTPS/12/05752; ACT: TP 12/02663).

Both The Australian National University and the Social Research Centre have privacy policies that ensure that the information that you provide is used only for the purpose intended.

Full details of each are displayed on the respective websites:

The Social Research Centre Privacy Policy

Our company uses information only for research purposes. This means that we use it to investigate the behaviours, needs, attitudes, opinions, motivations or other characteristics of various groups within the Australian population. We do this to provide information to our clients that will assist them in making decisions about their programs, services and policies. The input of research participants into these decisions is important, and the more people that participate, the more the results that are obtained truly reflect the spectrum of Australian society.

If you participate in our research, we may wish to collect your name and contact details so that we can contact you about the research. However, as researchers, we are generally interested in the responses of large groups of people, rather than individuals. We typically combine the information collected from all the research participants to get an overall picture. This overall picture is then reported to our clients. Details that identify you are removed from your responses to the research once they are no longer needed for the research. However, while your information remains identifiable, you have the right to request access to, and/or correction or deletion of any information about you held by our company.

Our company is bound by the Market and Social Research Privacy principles that are approved by the Federal Privacy Commissioner. Information can be found on the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations website.

We also abide by the principles of the Australian Market & Social Research Society's Code of Professional Behaviour. Information can be viewed on the Australian Market & Social Research Society website.

If you have any queries, you can call the Australian Market & Social Research Society's Survey Line on 1300 364 830 any time, seven days a week. If you call this number you can check whether a company is recognised by the Australian Market & Social Research Society as a bona fide research company. If you want to find out more about the way in which our company conducts research contact us on 1800 023 040 or email privacy@srcentre.com.au.

Professor Ian Mcallister
Research School of Social Sciences
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200
T +61 2 6125 5553
E ian.mcallister@anu.edu.au

Dr Juliet Pietsch
Research School of Social Sciences
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200
E juliet.pietsch@anu.edu.au

 

 

 

 

Social Research Centre

If you have any questions about the survey or would like to opt out, you can call contact the Social Research Centre:

T 1800 023 040 (free call)
F (03) 9236 4060
E worldvaluessurvey@srcentre.com.au
Mail: World Values Survey 2012
c/o The Social Research Centre
Reply Paid 83061
Locked bag 3032

If you have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of the survey please contact the ANU Human Ethics Officer on 02 6125 3427 or by email at human.ethics.officer@anu.edu.au.

Updated:  18 December 2017/Responsible Officer:  Head of School/Page Contact:  CASS Marketing & Communications