Researchers who use the Cesop website (Center for Public Opinion Studies), linked to Coordination of Interdisciplinary Research Centers and Nuclei at Unicamp (Cocen), will now have easier access to both the research database, considered one of the largest in Latin America, and the magazine Public opinion and information from the Brazilian Electoral Study (ESEB), carried out since 2002. With resources from Fapesp (São Paulo State Research Support Foundation) the website was completely redesigned (access). 120 thousand reais were invested in infrastructure.
According to the director of Cesop, Valeriano Mendes da Costa, the opinion research database now provides, in an uncomplicated and comprehensive way, access to around 4 thousand surveys carried out by companies in the sector, focusing on the theme of democracy. “The website has new accessibility quality. People can do their research directly on the page, download all the information and search for topics that are as varied as possible.”
The database contains, for example, research on consumption that was carried out from the 1960s to the present day. “Changes in consumption patterns, on democracy, political, moral, ethical behavior, violence, racism, themes from the classic period of democracy in Brazil, on the parliamentary plebiscite, everything is available”, he highlighted. The bank already existed on the website, but access depended on a series of procedures.
Costa also draws attention to another Cesop asset, which is the magazine Public opinion. The publication is considered the first political science magazine in Brazil, of international level and with contributors from Latin America and Europe. The website offers all issues, since the first edition, in 1993.
Another benefit from redesigning the page is the way to access ESEB data. According to the director, this is the only research on democracy and presidential elections carried out periodically since 2002 in Brazil. “Right after the elections, around 3 people are interviewed on the topics of democracy, memory of the vote, electoral process and evaluation of governments, with the great advantage of allowing the comparison of what happened in the elections of the last 15 years." The surveys carried out by Cesop members, or using core data, are also listed on the page. With the changes, Costa believes that the number of hits to the page, which is already quite large, will increase even further, encouraging public opinion polls in the country and the world.
