IDEOLOGY, METHODOLOGY, AND CONTEXT - SOCIAL-SCIENCE SURVEYS IN THE RUSSIAN-FEDERATION

The use of survey research has expanded dramatically in the Russian Fe deration, with mixed results in terms of accuracy and methodological p ractice. This article offers a preliminary summary of developments in survey research in the Russian Federation, highlighting the methodolog ical and cultural difficulties associated with the transmission of Wes tern-style survey research to the social reality of the Russian Federa tion Ideological pressure, intellectual isolation, and emphasis on mak ing surveys politically palatable led to a unique situation for the de velopment of survey methodologies within the former Soviet Union. Insi ghts from interviews with 20 Russian and American scholars highlight p roblems in cross-cultural collaboration in the post-Soviet context in terms of communication, ownership, training, and sampling. internation al collaboration has not yet reached its potential in terms of assisti ng the further development of existing sampling practices, data access norms and interviewer preparation in the Russian Federation.