Ned English

About Ned English

Ned English is a Principal Research Methodologist in the Methodology and 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).  English 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.  English 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 English 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 English worked as a GIS consultant implementing mapping and spatial solutions for numerous clients in the public and private sectors.