Empirical Social Research in Bulgaria

by
Yantsislav Yanakiev

1. Development of empirical social research before 1989

[1]  Bulgarian practice in empirical social research can look back on forty years of history. The first nationwide representative empirical sociological survey was carried out in 1962 on the topic of Religious affiliation of the Bulgarian Population. Since then numerous large-scale surveys have been carried out on various important topics relating to the development of Bulgarian society. These surveys include: The town and the village (1969, 1986); Social and Class Structure of Bulgarian Society (1977); Labor Realization of the Bulgarian Population (1978); The Bulgarian Family (1978); Lifestyle of the Rodopa Mountain Population (1984); Social Stratification in Bulgaria (1990), etc.

[2]  Empirical social surveys have mainly been conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Youth Studies, the Departments of Sociology at the University of Sofia and the University of World and National Economy, and the Institute for Social Studies of the Bulgarian Trade Union Confederation. In addition, several research centers of the state administration were established. The research centers most actively involved in empirical social research were the Information and Sociological Center (ISC) of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party and the Sociological Research Center of the Ministry of Defense.

[3]  In spite of tight political control over sociological research during the totalitarian period, a community of well-qualified professional scholars was formed. Sociology was also institutionalized as a science. In 1968 the Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IS-BAS) was established. In 1969 Bulgarian sociologists set up their own professional organization – the Bulgarian Sociological Association (BSA). Sociology has been taught as a discipline at University of Sofia and the University of World and National Economy in Sofia since 1976.

[4]  The idea of the establishment of a national sociological data or a “thesaurus of sociological information”  ¹ (Note1: Ochavkov, Z. (1982): Thesaurus for Information of Empirical Sociological Surveys, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (in Bulgarian);) has a comparatively long history. It dates from 1982 and was conceived by the founder of Bulgarian sociology  ² (Note2: Ochavkov, Z. (1982): Problems of the Unified System of Sociological Information, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.)Zhivko Oshavkov. Later on  ³ (Note3: Chakalov, B. (1988): Research on Dynamics of Public Opinion, Sofia, Nauka i Iizkustwo (in Bulgarian).)Boris Chakalov (Chakalov, 1988) and  ⁴ (Note4: Dobreva, S. (1996): “Information Sociological Bank”, in: Dictionary of Sociology, Michailov, S. and Tilkidgiev, N. (eds.), Sofia, M&M, 178-179 (in Bulgarian).)Stanka Dobreva (Dobreva, 1996: 114-115; Dobreva 1996: 178-179) also discussed the importance of and the need to establish a national sociological data bank in Bulgaria.

[5]  Despite the fact that a data bank was established at the ISC, the data from most of the surveys carried out before 1989 were lost after its closure in 1990. Some printed materials still exist, for example frequency tables, cross tables and descriptions of some of the surveys carried out by the Institute of Sociology (BAS). Some of the data from the surveys of the Institute of Youth Studies, which was closed down in 1992, are also available. The people who carried out these surveys have saved about 20 SPSS system files.

2. Development of empirical social research after 1989

Main empirical social research institutions

[6]  After the democratic changes in 1989 the number of empirical social surveys in Bulgaria increased rapidly. In addition to the existing public research institutions, a large number of private sociological agencies have been established. The main empirical social research institutes in Bulgaria can now be divided into four groups.

[7]  The first group comprises academic research and educational institutions. Those active in empirical research include:

• The Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences;
• The Institute of Psychology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences;
• The Center for Population Studies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences;
• The Department of Sociology at Sofia University;
• The Laboratory for Sociological and Marketing Surveys at the University of World and National Economy.

[8]  The second group comprises research institutes and centers of the state administration, which are subordinate to the National Assembly and various ministries. The following institutes and centers are active in the field of empirical social surveys:

• National Public Opinion Center;
• Sociological Research Center of the Ministry of Defense (closed down in 2000);
• Institute for Advanced Defense Research;
• Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology of the Ministry of the Interior;
• National Center for Drug Addiction (Bulgarian Drug Agency).

[9]  The third group comprises profit-making sociological and marketing agencies. It is important to stress the fact that, since 1990, private sociological agencies have been more active in empirical research than public academic and educational institutions. They have permanent staff and most of them have built up their own network of interviewers all over the country. Despite the fact that their interests lie mainly in marketing research, advertisement monitoring and media analysis, most of the agencies conduct opinion polls as a part of regular omnibus surveys. Some of the private sociological and marketing agencies in Bulgaria are representatives of international research organizations such as Balkan British Social Surveys plc (BBSS Gallup International) and the Market Research Institute (GFK Bulgaria), a fact which makes them feel more secure on the market. There are also many other agencies which are very successful in attracting funds to conduct marketing and social research. Among the most successful agencies are Vitosha Research, the Institute for Marketing and Social Surveys (MBMD), the Agency for Social, Political and Marketing Research (SOVA-HARRIS), the Agency for Social Research and Analysis (ASSA-M), the Agency for Socio-economic Analyses (A.S.A), ALPHA Research, the Agency for Marketing and Media Analysis (MMA), the Analytical Creative Group (ACG), the Marketing Research Agency (Market Test), etc.

[10]  The fourth group comprises non-profit-making organizations and think tanks. Interdisciplinary research teams, who work within the framework of different Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), have also carried out many empirical social surveys and produced quantitative data during the last decade. Special mention must be made of NGOs such as the International Center for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations, the Agency for Social Analyses (ASA), the Center for Liberal Strategies, etc.

Description of the main data collections produced after 1989

Data collections produced by academic social research and educational institutions

[11]  Because state funding for science in Bulgaria has been constantly declining since 1989, empirical activities in public research institutions depend mainly on the abilities of the team leaders to attract funding for empirical social research. For this reason some public educational institutions and, to some extent, academic research institutions have not been empirically active during the last decade. They have, as institutions, little data to offer for a future Social Science Data Archive (SSDA). It is common practice for small research teams of scholars in these institutions to carry out empirical surveys, most of which are funded by various international sponsors. These teams usually create the questionnaires for the surveys, analyze data and write research reports. The interviewer network of the Institute of Sociology (BAS), the National Public Opinion Center or some private sociological agency is responsible for field work and data processing. Data files are under the control of the research team leaders.

Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

[12]  The Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the main sociological research institution in Bulgaria. The following departments are the most actively involved in empirical surveys: Global and regional development, Methods of sociological survey and public opinion research, Sociology of Deviant Behavior, Sociology of Labor and Social Policy, Sociology of religion and everyday life and Sociology of science and education.

[13]  The surveys carried out by the Department of Regional and Global Development focus on topics such as unemployment, crime, problems of interethnic and religious relations in Bulgaria, risks of social transformation, etc. Most of the surveys are repeated over the course of time and create ways to trace the dynamics of social transformation. Some of the surveys provide an international comparison with countries in Southeastern Europe. Among the recent surveys are the following:

• Media and Civil Society in Bulgaria 2000-2001;
• Global, Regional and National Conditions of Unemployment in Bulgaria, an international comparative survey representative of the Pernik region in Bulgaria, Łódź in Poland and Tver in Russia, funded by the UNESCO-MOST Programme, 1999-2000;
• Problems Facing Ethnosociology in Bulgaria 1996-1999;
• The Crime Wave in the Context of the Social and Economic Transition 1996-1997;
• Conditions for Stability in Social Transformations 1996;
• Innovation Processes in Education 1994-1995;
• Value-Normative and Institutional Barriers Confronting Sustainable Development 1993-1995;
• Structure and Dynamics of Risk Situations: Risks of Transition 1993;
• Social Conditions of Technological Innovation in Southern Europe 1991;
• Sustainable Development and Environmental Risk 1992.

[14]  The surveys carried out by the Department of Methods of Sociological Survey and Public Opinion Research are mainly connected with methodological issues. Most of the surveys are conducted on nationwide representative basis and include expert evaluations. Recent surveys conducted by the researchers in this Department include:

• Public Opinion Research – Reality, Problems and New Trends 1997 – 2000;
• Methodological Problems of Survey Activity 1995;
• Survey and Research Activity at the Institute of Sociology – Trends, Changes and Perspectives, Methodological Assessment 1994-1995;
• Sociological Surveys in the Period of Social System Changes, Interests and Behavior of Respondents, Researchers, Customers, Community – 2nd stage, 1993;
• Sociological Surveys in the Period of Social System Changes, Interests and Behavior of Respondents, Researchers, Customers, Community – 1st stage, 1992;
• Response Behavior in the Period of Social System Changes 1991-1992.

[15]  The surveys carried out by the Department of Sociology of Deviant Behaviorfocus on a broad spectrum of present issues of deviant behavior and potential conflicts in contemporary Bulgarian society with the main stress on the problems of younger generations. Some of the recent projects of the Department are:

• Political and Economic Orientations of Bulgarians – Ten Years After the Beginning of Social Change: A Comparative Study, 1990-2000;
• Bulgarian Women during the Period of Transition: Inequalities, Risks and Social Costs 1999-2000;
• Juveniles and Deviant Behavior 1995-1999;
• Trends in Youth Unemployment in Bulgaria 1994, 1996;
• Social Conflicts During the Period of Transition 1991-1994;

[16]  Following the change in the economic model of the development of Bulgarian society, the researchers from the Department of Sociology of Labor and Social Policy have focused their activities on issues of employment and unemployment, the labor market in Bulgaria, poverty, the role of economic elites in Bulgaria, etc. Recent surveys of the Department include:

• Labor Market Segmentation in Bulgaria 2000-2002;
• Child Labor – Ethnic Peculiarities 2000;
• Child Labor – Problems and Tendencies 1998;
• Marginalization of Bulgarian Society During the Transition 1996;
• The Economic Elite in Bulgaria 1995;
• Labor in Bulgarian Villages 1995;
• Entrepreneurship – Values & Models 1995;
• Strategies for Economic Activity 1994-1995;
• Employment and Unemployment in the Towns of Bulgaria 1994;
• Entrepreneurship – Stimuli for Activity 1994;
• Poverty – Sociological Problems 1992-1993.

[17]  The Department of Sociology of Religion and Everyday Life has carried out a large number of national and international comparative surveys on the integration and marginalization of the Roma population, interethnic relations in Bulgaria, the problems of specific ethno-confessional communities in the country, etc. Some of the projects completed during the last several years are:

• The Attitudes Towards Roma, international comparative study, 2001;
• Orthodox Christianity and Islam in the Structure and Development of Modernity, 2000;
• The Neighborhood of Religious Communities in Contemporary Bulgarian Society During the Period of Transition 2000;
• European Values Study 1999;
• Socio-Economic Problems of the Rhodope Population 1998-1999;
• The Rhodopes in the 1990s – Social Changes and Ethno-Religious Relations 1999;
• Poverty in Bulgaria, Ethnic Dimensions of Poverty 1998.

[18]  The research activities of the Department of Sociology of Science and Education focus on the role of science, education and innovations in the social transformation of Bulgarian society. Most of the surveys are carried out on a national representative basis. The Department has also carried out cross-national comparative surveys for countries in Southeastern Europe. Recent surveys include the following:

• Telematics and Communications Technology, comparative study in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Romania, which is part of a cross-national research project sponsored by the European Commission: INCO-COPERNICUS IV Programme, 1998-2000;
• Elite Language Schools and Private Schools: Modes of Socialization, nationwide surveys, sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Open Source Education Foundation, 1995-1997;
• Scientific Institutions in a Society of Transition: Strategies of Modernization, cross-national survey in collaboration with the Methodology Institute and the London School of Economics, sponsored by the Central European University, 1994-1996;
• Periods of Modernization of Society and Public Understanding of Science, nationwide survey, sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Science, 1945-1995;
• Scientific Organization: Strategies of Change, national survey in collaboration with Ecole des mines de Paris, sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Science, 1993;
• Public Understanding of Science, national representative survey in collaboration with the eMethodology Institut and the London School of Economics, 1991-1993;
• Brain Drain in Bulgarian Science in the Early 1990s, national representative survey, 1991-1993;
• Perceptions of Justice in East and West, cross-national research project, sponsored by the National Council for Eurasian and Eastern European Research, U.S. National Science Foundation, the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, and the National Program for Complex Investigation of Man, 1989-1992;
• Personality in the Changing Society, national survey, sponsored by the National Program for Complex Investigation of Man, 1987-1990;

Institute of Psychology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

[19]  Research teams in the Institute of Psychology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IP-BAS) have carried out several field studies and produced quantitative data from socio-psychological surveys on various topics. The projects are connected with the study of personal and situational determinants of work activities in everyday life and in extreme situations, psychological states, job stress models, tension, fatigue, working capacity and job satisfaction, as well as the interrelation between job content and psychological health. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the changes in the psychological state of people when unemployed. Furthermore, the research activities of the Institute are directed towards problems connected with verbal and non-verbal communication in face to face interaction, aggression, frustration, characteristics of social support, alienation and social chaos, normative and mass behavior. Finally, cognitive personal styles, the media influence on different audiences and cognitive strategies for political voting are also studied. Among recent projects of the IP-BAS are the following:

• Attitudes towards Further Education, longitudinal nationwide survey, carried out with the financial support of the Association of Adult Education Institutes, Germany, 1993-1999;
• The Values of the Bulgarians and Bulgarian Culture During the Transition towards Democracy, nationwide survey, carried out with the financial support of the Central European University, Budapest, and the Bulgarian National Fund for Scientific Research. The surveys from 1996 and 1998 were conducted using the same methodology and the data is comparative;
• Professional Stress among Policemen and Medical Doctors, comparative survey for Bulgaria, Germany and the UK. The Bulgarian part of the research was funded by the National Fund for Scientific Research, 1998-1999;
• Professional Stress among Managers, comparative survey for Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and the UK. The Bulgarian part of the research was also funded by the National Fund for Scientific Research, 1998-1999.

Center for Population Studies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

[20]  The Center for Population Studies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (CPS) is responsible for scientific research and forecasts on demographic development consistent with the priorities of the country and the need to formulate demographic policy. Marriage trends and the reproduction behavior of families have been studied in comparison with other European countries. The processes of demographic transition and the decrease in fertility have also been studied. Full and concise tables concerning mortality by causes for both sexes and domicile have also been compiled. Research has been conducted on early fertility in Bulgaria and the demographic behavior of specific groups of the population – ethnic groups, women in business in the private sector, families with many children, the rural population and the population in the third age.

[21]  The Institute is implementing the project “Integrated Statistics for Women” (BUL 91/PO1) in cooperation with the National Statistical Institute, and with the technical and financial support of the United Nations (UN). The project is being supervised by the UN Statistical Department in order to use the product and transmit experience for the creation of data bases for women in other countries.

University of Sofia

[22]  Empirical social surveys have been organized and carried out mainly by two faculties of Sofia University: the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Sociology and the Faculty of Economics. In addition to teaching students, the professors from the University, as individual scholars, participate in or lead various research teams. Some of the empirical surveys relate to the education of the students and are aimed at the promotion of their practical experience in field research. Other surveys are conducted on a national representative or international comparative basis. Some of the recent surveys carried out by researchers and research teams in the Department of Sociology of Sofia University include:

• Small Businesses: Success Models and Reasons for Failure, international comparative survey for Bulgaria, Russia and the Czech Republic, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, 2001-2002;
• Economic Culture of Sole Proprietors, international comparative survey, representative of the capitals of Bulgaria (Sofia) and Macedonia (Skopje), in cooperation with the Center for Advanced Studies, 2001-2002;
• Social Integration of Young Roma People, evaluation research on the social project for the integration of Roma in two regions of the country – Smoljan and Pazardzik, 2001;
• Institutional Culture in Bulgaria, national representative survey, carried out in cooperation with University of Bielefeld, Germany. The survey is funded by the Research Support Scheme of the Open Society Foundation, 1996-1998;
• Transformation in State-Owned Enterprises: Comparative Models in Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, international comparative survey in cooperation with Bielefeld University, Germany, 1996

[23]  In addition to the main educational activities, research teams and individual researchers in the Faculty of Economics carry out empirical surveys, most of which are national and some comparative over time. Recent surveys include:

• Culture of Organizations in Bulgaria, national survey representative of state-owned and private firms in Bulgaria, 2000-2001, using the methodology of Georg Hofstede, partially comparative with a pilot survey from 1997;
• Development of Private Business in Bulgaria, national survey representative of private firms in the country, 1997, comparative with the survey from 1991.

Department of Sociology at the University of World and National Economy

[24]  Empirical social surveys have been carried out by the Laboratory for Social and Marketing Research of the Department of Sociology since its establishment in 1987. Between 1987 and 1990 the main research activities of the Laboratory were directed towards support for students’ education at the University. The scope of the surveys broadened after 1990. Between 1990 and 1993 the Laboratory carried out a series of surveys on “Privatization of State-owned Enterprises”, which was representative of three regions of the country containing developed heavy industry (Sofia, Burgas and Pernik). In addition, the Laboratory carried out about 100 marketing surveys between 1993 and 1999. Since 1999 the Laboratory has carried out panel surveys among students on “Monitoring and Evaluation of Market Behavior of the University in Implementing Educational Programs”. In 2000 and 2001 the Laboratory carried out a nationwide representative survey on the topic of “Bulgarian Human Capital”. The survey was conducted in cooperation with the Association for Development and Applied Studies in the Social Sciences (ADRAT), Belgium.

Data collections produced by the National Statistical Institute

[25]  Within the framework of the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) of the International Monetary Fund, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) collects and disseminates socio-demographic data on population, health, education and poverty.

[26]  Annual population estimates are derived from the decennial census (the latest one was conducted in March/April 2001) and are updated by data from administrative sources on births, deaths and migration. Data cover citizens and permanent residents. A range of demographic indicators such as birth rates, death rates, fertility rates and life expectancy are compiled. In addition, theNational Statistical Institute (NSI), in collaboration with the National Center for Health Information, collects a range of health-related statistics based on administrative records, annual censuses and special-purpose surveys. Data on education covering facilities, personnel and enrolments are collected through an annual census of all educational establishments.

[27]  The NSI conducts a monthly Household Budget Survey of 6000 households and provides data on the structure of households and persons in a household according to socio-demographic characteristics, incomes based on source, expenditure according to groups, consumption of main foodstuffs, calorific content of consumed main foods, etc. An annual Living Conditions Survey is also conducted. A detailed description of the surveys and the main publications of the Institute can be found on its website. Some of the latest general publications of the NSI are:

• The Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Bulgaria. It provides users with compound data on the demographic, social and economic development of the country during the period from 1995 to 2000. Statistical information on Bulgaria is presented in two sections: a general review and a review according to districts. The publication contains detailed statistical information on all branches of the Bulgarian economy. Separate chapters present data on geographic characteristics and the environment, population, labor, health services, education and science, culture and arts, justice, sports and tourism. Comparable data on Bulgaria and other countries are presented in a separate section.
• The Statistical Reference Book of the Republic of Bulgaria, which contains topical statistical information on demographic processes and socio-economic and cultural life in the Republic of Bulgaria between 1997 and 2000. This reference book is based on the National Classification of Economic Activities, which came into force at the beginning of 1997. Statistical information is presented generally for the country and according to districts. Comparable data on Bulgaria and other countries are also included.
• The bulletin Statistical News contains actual monthly and quarterly statistical information on the development of the country in 2001 and the corresponding period in 2000, as well as yearly data on main demographic, social and economic indicators. The presented information describes the national economy both at a macro-level and based on sectors – industry, agriculture, transport, communications and trade.
• The publication Population and Demographic Processes 2000 contains the main results of demographic statistical surveys on births, deaths, marriages, divorces and migration of the population in 2000. Data are presented in a wide variety of classifications according to numerical and categorical variables. In a territorial aspect data are aggregated at national level as well as by districts according to the administrative territorial division of the country at December 31, 2000.
• The issue Population 2000contains statistical data on the number of residents in the country as a whole and in 28 districts distributed according to gender and age. Data based on the main demographic indicators in the year 2000 are also presented.
• The publication Household Budgets in the Republic of Bulgaria contains statistical data from the sample household budget survey for the period from 1992 to 2000. The results are grouped according to the following categories: residence, number of persons in the household, total annual income per capita, presence of pensioners in the household, professional and socio-economic characteristics of the household head, and by decile groups.
• The bulletin Employment and Unemployment contains the main results of a sample survey on economic activity, employment and unemployment of the population aged 15 and over. The included data describe: number and demographic characteristics of the labor force; total for the country and according to districts and regions; causes and duration of unemployment; employment and employment status.
• The publication Local Government Authorities 2000 presents data from a comprehensive opinion survey of local government authorities in the Republic of Bulgaria at 31 March 2001. Data presented refer to information on elected municipal and mayoral councilors as well as the district, municipal and mayoral administrative staff in the country. Data on local government authority officials are distributed according to age, gender and level of education. The edition will be of interest to experts in the field of management and regional development.
• The publication Main Macroeconomic Indicators presents the results from the work of official statistics on the calculation of the main macro-economic indicators for Bulgaria, e.g. gross domestic product based on current prices for the period from 1980 to 2000; quarterly data on GDP and gross value added – total for the macroeconomy and the private sector for the period since 1994; main per capita aggregates for the period between 1991 and 2000; gross output, etc.

Data collections produced by research institutes and centers of the state administration

National Public Opinion Center

[28]  The National Public Opinion Center (NPOC) was founded in 1990 as a public research institute for opinion polls and is subordinate to the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria as well as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. To date the National Public Opinion Center Bulgaria (NPOC) has carried out more than 160 nationwide opinion polls. They focus on a broad range of topics concerning problems and prospects relating to Bulgaria’s transition to democracy, problems of young people in Bulgaria, confidence in the state institutions, media and political leaders, public attitudes towards Bulgarian accession to the European Union and NATO, perception of corruption in Bulgarian society, etc. Among the most important surveys of the Center are the following:

• Migration Potential in Bulgaria, 2001;
• Bulgarian Youth, nationwide survey sponsored by the State Agency for Youth and Sport, 2001;
• Unemployment in Bulgaria, nationwide survey sponsored by the UNDP, 2001;
• Public Opinion towards Equal Opportunities for Men and Women in Bulgaria, 2001;
• Public Opinion towards the Main State Institutions, Political Parties and Political Leaders, EC and NATO, 2000;
• Public Opinion towards Corruption, in cooperation with the Association Transparency without Borders, 2000;
• Public Opinion towards Bulgaria’s Accession in the European Union after the Helsinki Summit in 1999, 1999;
• Public Perceptions of the Kosovo Crisis, 1999;
• Ethnic Groups and Power, 1998;
• Bulgarian Youth – Problems and Perspectives, 1998;
• Study of the Reasons for Children Dropping Out from Secondary and High School, sponsored by the PHARE Program of the European Union, 1997;
• Anomie in Bulgarian Society, 1996;
• Women in Politics, 1995;
• Public Opinion towards Reform of the Social Security System, 1994;
• The Bulgarians and Their Families –Problems and Perspectives, 1993;
• Public Opinion towards Privatization, 1992;
• Public Opinion on Restitution, 1992;
• Study of Bulgarian Democracy, applying the methodology of the Erasmus Foundation of Democracy, Budapest, 1991;
• World Values Survey 1990;

[29]  National Public Opinion Center Bulgaria (NPOC) maintains a data bank from the surveys carried out since the establishment of the Center.

Research Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology, Ministry of the Interior

[30]  The Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology was established as a research institution within the framework of the Ministry of the Interior in 1968 with the aim of organizing scientific research in the fields of forensic science, criminology, theory of operational and investigation activities, and management of the police force. Since the establishment of the Institute numerous empirical surveys on the prevention of economic, criminal and organized crime have been carried out. Some of the most important recent projects of the Institute include:

• Partnership Between the Police and the Media for the Prevention of Crime in Bulgaria 2001;
• Violent Crime Against Women and Children: State and Opportunities for Prevention 2000;
• Criminal Activities in Big Cities in Bulgaria and the Response of the Police 1999;
• Prevention of Drug-Related Crime in Bulgaria, expert survey, 1999;
• Privatization and Criminality, expert survey, 1999
• The Police and Private Security Firms: Opportunities for Cooperation, purposive survey among police and private security company personnel, 1997;
• Attitudes towards the Use of Arms by the Police, nationwide representative survey, 1996;
• Public Opinion towards the Police, nationwide representative survey, 1995;

[31]  The Institute maintains a data bank from the surveys and publishes some of the results from public surveys in the Bulletin of the Bulgarian Criminological Association and in the Bulletin of the Institute.

Sociological Research Center of the Ministry of Defense

[32]  The Sociological Research Center (SRC-MoD) was established in 1968 as a research institution within the framework of the Ministry of Defense. It carried out sociological surveys and opinion polls among the Bulgarian military as well as young people. Some of the projects are comparative in nature and provide an opportunity to compare perceptions and attitudes of young people in the army and their counterparts in the high schools of the country. Among the most important public projects are the following:

• Public Attitudes towards Defense and Security Policy and Integration of Bulgaria in NATO, nationwide opinion poll, sponsored by the NATO Office of Information and Press, 1999;
• Drug Use and Attitudes towards Drugs among Young Bulgarian Men, representative survey of conscript soldiers and high school students, in cooperation with the National Center for Drug Addiction (Bulgarian Drug Agency), sponsored by the Research Support Scheme of the Open Society Foundation, 1997-1998;
• Bulgarian Young People under the Conditions of Social Transformation, representative survey of conscript soldiers and high school students, 1995;
• Religious Consciousness of Young People in Bulgaria, representative survey of conscript soldiers and high school students, funded by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, 1994;
• HIV/AIDS – Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior, representative surveys carried out among the Bulgarian military, conscripts, non-commissioned and commissioned officers, and expert survey of medical specialists, 1993;

[33]  Institute for Advanced Defense Research.

Institute for Advanced Defense Research

[34]  The Institute for Advanced Defense Research (IADR) has a short history. It was established in January 2000 after the reorganization and integration of the research institutions as the only research body in the Ministry of Defense. The IADR has continued the tradition of the SRC-MoD by conducting sociological surveys and opinion polls among the military and civilians after the closure of the Center in 2000. The main projects are connected with public opinion towards defense and security policy and issues of human factors affecting the effectiveness of the Armed Forces. The projects are also of a comparative nature and some of the surveys are repeated using the same methodology. Among the recent public projects are the following:

• Public Attitudes towards the Defense and Security Policy and Integration of Bulgaria in NATO, nationwide opinion poll, conducted in cooperation with the Institute of Sociology of the BAS, 2001; 2000
• Attitudes towards Ethnic Tolerance and Cooperation in the Bulgarian Armed Forces, representative surveys carried out among the Bulgarian military, high school students and expert survey among high-ranking military and civilian leaders in the MoD, conducted in cooperation with the International Center for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations, sponsored by the Open Society Foundation, 2000-2001;
• HIV/AIDS – Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior, representative surveys carried out among conscript soldiers and high school students, conducted in cooperation with the Agency for Socio-economic Analyses, sponsored by the United Nations Development Program and UNAIDS, 2000 comparative with the survey of 1993.

Bulgarian Drug Agency

[35]  The National Center for Drug Addiction (Bulgarian Drug Agency) has its own department for sociological and epidemiological research and organizes regular surveys regarding drug use and attitudes toward drugs among various risk groups with particular attention to young people. Among the recent surveys are the following

• Snowball Sampling Survey among Heroin Users in Sofia, applying the methodology of the Pompidou Group of the EU, sponsored by the Research Support Scheme, Open Society Foundation, 1997 comparative with the survey from 1995;
• Use of Cigarettes, Alcohol and Drugs by Students, representative of high school students in Bulgaria, 1995;
• Study on Drug Use among Secondary School Students in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Rouse, representative of the four regions, 1994
• Use and Abuse of Psychotropic Substances by Children and Teenagers, representative of high school students in Bulgaria, 1993

Data Collections Produced by Private Market and Opinion Research Institutions

Agency for Socio-economic Analyses (A.S.A.)

[36]  The Agency for Socio-economic Analyses (A.S.A.) is a private social research and consultancy company, which was established in 1992. The focal points of the research projects are social problems of young people, social integration and disintegration, attitudes towards AIDS/HIV, sexual behavior, migration, etc. The Agency is engaged in evaluation research on the implementation of various social projects at national and regional level.

• Some of the recent projects include:
  • Youth Forum Initiative Survey, commissioned by the UNDP, Bulgaria, 2001;
  • Social Assessment of the Care of Young People in Bulgaria, three nationwide surveys, commissioned by the World Bank, 2000;
  • Research on Factors in the Shadow Economy, subcontracted by the Institute for Market Economy Bulgaria, financed by the Center for International Development at Harvard University, 2000;
  • Research on the Shadow Economy in the Auto Service Sector, two nationwide surveys, financed by the Center for International Development at Harvard University, 2000;
  • Situation Analyses in “Preparation of the Communication Campaign on Migration”, commissioned by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 1999-2000;
  • Situation Analyses in “Preparation of a national strategy on HIV/AIDS in Bulgaria”, commissioned by the Ministry of Health and UNAIDS Project, 1999-2000;
  • Expectations about Local Government Actions in 5 Municipalities, evaluation research by the Swiss Project Coordination Center, the Swiss Embassy in Bulgaria, 1998;
  • Evaluation of Pilot Regional Information Centers on EU Integration, commissioned by the Center for European Studies, the Euro Info Correspondence Center and the EC Delegation, 1998;
  • National Aspirations Surveys, sponsored by the United Nations Human Development Project, 1998-1999;
  • Attitudes towards Local Government Reform, survey subcontracted by the Foundation of Local Government Reform, conducted in collaboration with the DATA Agency, 1997;
  • Attitudes towards Nuclear Waste Management in Bulgaria, a PHARE project, 1996;
  • The European Manager: Values and Mentality, financed by PHARE and coordinated by the University of Oxford, 1994-1996;
  • The Bulgarian Manager: Values and Mentality, a research project, financed by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation – Bulgaria, 1993.

Analytical Creative Group

[37]  The Analytical Creative Group (ACG) Ltd. was established as a private sociological and marketing agency in 1997. The focal points of its research are environmental and nature conservation issues. Among the recent projects are:

• Wetlands Restoration and Pollution Reduction – Environmental and Social Assessment, sponsored by the World Bank & Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW), 2001
• Persina Nature Park, Kalimok-Brashlen Protected Site, 2001;
• Socio-economic Surveys for Preparing Management Plans for Rila Monastery Nature ParkARD GEF Biodiversity Project, sponsored by USAID, 2000-2001;
• Rila Monastery Nature Park, socio-economic research program in support of management plans for the Rila NP and Central Balkan National Park, 2000;
• Rila National Park, Central Balkan National Park, ARD GEF Biodiversity Project, sponsored by USAID, 2000;
• Socio-economic Assessment of the Feasibility of Establishing a Network of Visitors Centers in Bourgas Wetlands and Strandja Nature Park, sponsored by the Bulgarian Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Program, 1999;
• Public Attitudes towards Biodiversity Conservation, ARD GEF Biodiversity Project, sponsored by USAID, 1997;

[38]  The Analytical Creative Group (ACG) has also coordinated a research project, which was sponsored by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on trafficking in women in 1997, 1999, and 2000.

Agency for Social Research and Analysis

[39]  The Agency for Social Research and Analysis (ASSA-M) was established as a private sociological and marketing agency in 1993. The Agency pays particular attention to social problems of young people in Bulgaria (aged 16 to 35). The key research topics are as follows:

• Attitudes towards Emigration;
• Youth Employment and Unemployment;
• Religious Consciousness of Young People in Bulgaria;
• Anomie in Bulgarian Society, part of an international comparative survey, 1997-1999;
• Reproductive Behavior and the Use of Contraceptives, sponsored by the PHARE programme of the European Union, nationwide survey from 1996-1998.

Alpha Research Ltd.

[40]  Alpha Research Ltd. is a private, independent full-service research agency. The Agency monitors the socio-political attitudes and expectations in Bulgarian society and analyzes the most significant trends. This activity is implemented on the basis of monthly national representative surveys. Among the major trends which are being monitored are the following:

• Attitudes towards public institutions, political parties and their leaders;
• Public attitudes towards the accession of Bulgaria to the European Union and NATO;
• Evaluation of the reform processes in various areas;
• The economic situation in the country and the individual standard of living;
• Income levels: the current situation and future expectations;
• Technical provisioning of Bulgarian households and cultural consumption.

[41]  In addition to these general trends, the Agency conducts empirical surveys on a number of topical social and economic issues such as changes in the educational system, the adoption of the Law on Child Welfare, the health care habits of the population, NGO participation, economic activity of Bulgarian households, etc.

Balkan British Social Surveys plc

[42]  Balkan British Social Surveys plc (BBSS Gallup) was founded in 1991 as a privately owned company. It is now one of the biggest private market, media and opinion research organizations in Bulgaria. Through affiliate and joint venture companies based in Romania, Albania, Macedonia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and the Ukraine, BBSS-Gallup focuses on multi-country research and consultancy services in Southeastern and Central Europe.

Institute for Marketing and Social Surveys

[43]  The Institute for Marketing and Social Surveys Research (MBMD) is a private social research institution which was founded in 1991. Surveys are conducted on a national and regional basis. The main topics of opinion polls are:

• Rating of politicians and confidence in public institutions;
• Electoral attitudes and electoral behavior;
• Reforms in the health care system;
• Public attitudes towards privatization,
• Public attitudes towards corruption;
• National identity.

[44]  In addition, the Institute carries out media research and monitors media audiences at national, regional and local level. Some recent opinion polls carried out in 2000 and 2001 focused on the following topics:

• Expectations about the situation in Bulgaria;
• Confidence in politicians
• Slogans of different parties effecting voting attitudes
• Electoral attitudes, confidence in the national movement “Simeon II” and in the other political parties;
• Confidence in the Bulgarian institutions and media
• Desire of the Bulgarians to live and work in EU countries.

Market Test

[45]  Market Test was established in 1995 as a private company for research and consulting. Market Test carries out qualitative studies with the aim of in-depth exploration of consumer insights and motivations, advertising research, business-to-business marketing research, media audience research as well as quantitative social studies. Special mention must be made of continuous surveys carried out by the company in which the targets are the major media audience, TV, press and radio. These surveys include a nationwide diary panel which is representative of Bulgarian households and the population over the age of 16. Self-administered questionnaires are completed on a daily basis. Data are provided in specially designed software for media analysis and planning (MAS 3.0.) The quantitative surveys carried out by the company focus on the diagnosis of social problems, attitudes towards specific social issues, testing of social reform concepts, evaluations of social projects as well as measurement of the effectiveness of PR campaigns. Market Test also has resources and experience in conducting research in neighboring countries such as Macedonia, Serbia and Albania.

GFK Bulgaria

[46]  GfK Bulgaria is a full-service market research institute. The company was set up in 1994 as a subsidiary of the GfK Group. It supplies data from ad hoc studies and consumer scans, household panels, etc. Its main research areas are:

• Research on consumer goods;
• Research on consumer durables;
• Media research ;
• Research on advertising;
• Social and political research;
• Financial research;
• Medical and pharmaceutical research;
• Research on leisure time, tourism, traffic and automobiles;
• Social styles in Central and Eastern Europe;

[47]  The project “Social styles” offers access to qualitative and quantitative data, expertise on every aspect of day-to-day life, panel information: it can be linked with consumer panels of GfK Bulgaria to refer to contacts and relevancy between diversity of lifestyles and merchandising data. The information provided comes from the regular GfK Bulgaria Omnibus surveys.

Vitosha Research

[48]  Vitosha Research is the social and marketing research unit affiliated to the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD). The Sociological Program started operating shortly after the establishment of the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD). In 1990 it conducted the first independent pre- and post election surveys after the democratic changes in Bulgaria. Vitosha Research was launched at the end of 1994 to develop new work orientations for the Sociological Program of CSD and to deepen its concentration in the field of market research. Together with other research agencies from Central and Eastern Europe, Vitosha Research won a European Commission grant competition and started the implementation of an international survey entitled “Eurobarometer”, which is being coordinated by Gallup Hungary. It is being carried out in 13 applicant countries for EU membership. The first poll was conducted in January 2000 and the second one in October 2001. Its main purpose is to collect information about expectations of the respondents about the improvement in their living standards, the general attitudes of the Bulgarian public towards European Union, as well as public opinion and assessments of the process of European integration in Bulgaria. In 2001 Vitosha Research launched an “E-living Survey” with the aim of identifying the level of development of new information and communication technologies among the Bulgarian population. The survey is part of a major project that is taking place in different European countries. Another project launched by Vitosha Research was devoted to the assessment of the development of information technologies in Bulgaria. The project was conducted between July and October 2001. The main objective of the project is to assess the current state of the infrastructure and services of the information technology sector in Bulgaria.

[49]  Some of the recent surveys of Vitosha Research were implemented within the framework of the following projects:

• Elites and the Changes in Bulgaria. The survey is part of a long-term international project, which started in 1984, and is aimed at studying the opinion of Bulgarian elites on social change in the country.
• International Social Justice Project. It which includes the development, implementation and analysis of data gathered through a common survey questionnaire in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary and Russia. The first stage of the project was completed in 1991. The second stage of the project started in 1995 and the surveys were conducted in October 1996 (Public Perceptions of Social Justice – December 1996; At-Risk Groups and Social Policy Challenges in Bulgarian Society – 1994-1995).
• Early Warning System in Bulgaria. It explores the possibility of anticipating and responding to crisis situations before they become too violent or mitigating their effects once underway. Early warning reporting develops predictive capabilities and enhances informed judgments about possible sequences of events and outcomes.
• Corruption Assessment. The basic responsibility of Vitosha Research within the Coalition 2000 initiative has been the development and the implementation of the Corruption Monitoring System (CMS) of the coalition. The CMS includes a system of empirical studies and analytical reports. The first quantitative and qualitative surveys of the CMS were conducted between July and September 1998. Numerous nationwide and cross-national surveys were carried out as part of this project: Regional Corruption Monitoring in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, and Yugoslavia 2000; Corruption Indexes, Results from the Comparative Survey in Albania, Bulgaria, and Macedonia February 2000; Corruption Indexes of Coalition 2000, February, April, September, November 2000; Corruption indices of Coalition 2000, September 1999; Corruption indices of Coalition 2000, Public Sector Employees April 1999; Corruption indices of Coalition 2000, April 1999; Corruption indices of Coalition 2000, February 1999; Business and Corruption Indexes, 1998; Attitudes of Bulgarians towards Corruption, March, 1997 - September, 1997; Public Bureaucracy and Corruption - May 1998; Perceptions of Corruption - April 1997.

Agency for Social, Political and Marketing Research

[50]  The Agency for Social, Political and Marketing Research (SOVA-HARRIS) was established in 1995 as a private commercial firm specializing in political and marketing research as well as opinion polls. The Agency carries out monthly omnibus surveys on the following topics: rating of the main state institutions, political parties and leaders as well as trade unions; dynamics of electoral attitudes; national security and geopolitical attitudes; material status and well-being. Some of the main topics of recent empirical surveys are:

• The State of Bulgarian Sport, nationwide representative opinion poll, 2001;
• Bulgarian Youth – Problems and Prospects, nationwide representative survey, 2001;
• The Reform in the Health Care System in Bulgaria, nationwide representative opinion poll and survey among medical doctors and patients in the 28 regional centers in Bulgaria, 2001;
• Women in Business, purposive survey among women entrepreneurs, 2000;
• Telecommunication Services in Bulgaria, nationwide representative survey, 2001
• Public Opinion towards the Ozone Layer and its State, nationwide representative survey, May and September, 1999;

Marketing Media Analysis

[51]  The Agency for Marketing Media Analysis (MMA) was established in 2000 as a private firm whose main interests are media research, advertisement monitoring and analysis, marketing research and sociological research. The main topics in its sociological research are lifestyle and social stratification, political marketing, attitudes towards responsible health behavior and prevention, etc. The Agency has conducted two Multi-Client Projects:

• Tweens® (Teenagers and Twenty-Something, representative of young people aged between 12 and 25). This is a unique international project of Public Consultants with the goal of exploring the motivation of youth behavior in several countries in Europe, Asia and America. MMA is responsible for data collection, data processing and analysis for Bulgaria.
• WOMENTALITY. In this program the Agency analyses the content and the main characteristics of several women’s magazines in order to explore the context for marketing research and advertisement monitoring.

Data collections produced by non-governmental organizations and think tanks

International Center for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations

[52]  The International Center for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations (IMIR) was founded in 1992 as a private, non-political, non-profit-making and non-governmental organization. Major IMIR research projects in history, anthropology, sociology, interdisciplinary studies and Balkan Studies in 2001 and 2002 are the following:

• Integration of Ethnic and Religious Minorities in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria: Problems and Solutions. The project was carried out in cooperation with the Institute for Advanced Defense Research and comprises nationwide representative surveys as well as surveys among the military, 2000-2001;
• The Ethno-Cultural Situation in Bulgaria, this started in 1995 and will continue in 2002. This involves annual sociological and anthropological monitoring of relations among Bulgaria's ethnic and religious communities in the context of the ongoing political processes, economic crisis, social upheaval and the regional and international situation;
• The New Minorities in Bulgaria, this project started with an anthropological and sociological field study in October 2001 and will continue until mid-2002. The purpose is to study and describe immigrants who have settled permanently in Bulgaria in recent years, as well as those people whose children are now second- or third-generation immigrants: their motives for choosing Bulgaria, their traditions and customs, level of adaptation in their new home country, nostalgia for their homeland and their social, economic, political and public status;
• State of the Roma Community in Bulgaria after 12 Years of Transition to a Market Economy. This survey is part of an international research project on human development of the Roma in five Central and Eastern European countries, which was launched in October 2001 and will continue in 2002;
• Formation of European Consciousness among the Younger Generations in Bulgaria, 1997-1998;
• Relations of Compatibility and Incompatibility between Christians and Muslims in Bulgaria, 1995.

[53]  International Center for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations (IMIR) research projects in anthropology, history, sociology and other social sciences are generally published in book form in the specialized IMIR Series.

Agency for Social Analyses

[54]  The Agency for Social Analyses (ASA) is an independent, non-profit-making, public-policy-oriented think-tank founded in 1994. The Agency for Social Analyses (ASA) is a member of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and carries out the surveys in the framework of the Programme in Bulgaria. The Agency has realized over 20 projects on behalf of various public and private bodies, including central and local government, trade unions, companies and foundations.

• These projects include:
  • Social Assistance in Bulgaria, research component of social marketing, commissioned and supported by the World Bank through the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, 1999-2000;
  • ISSP 2000 Environment II, supported by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria;
  • ISSP 1998 Religion II: Religious Minorities in Bulgaria 1999, supported by the Open Society Fund and the Tolerance Foundation;
  • ISSP 1999 Social Inequality III: Social Stratification and Inequality 1999, supported by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria;
  • Women in Poverty, national survey commissioned and supported by the UNDP, International Labour Organization and MOLSP with the main aim of helping to strengthen anti-poverty strategies of the Bulgarian government, 1997;
  • ISSP 1997 Work Orientations II: Work Orientation 1997, supported by the Open Society Fund;
  • ISSP 1996 Role of Government III: Role of Government in Democratization 1997, supported by the Open Society Fund;
  • Investment Climate in Bulgaria, research project commissioned and supported by the Foreign Investment Agency Bulgaria with the main aim of helping to improve the investment policy of the Bulgarian government, 1996;
  • ISSP 1995 National Identity I: National and Ethnic Identity and Consciousness 1995, supported by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation:
  • ISSP 1994 Family and Changing Gender Roles II: Women, Work and the Family 1995, supported by the Open Society Fund and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation;
  • Working and Living Environment, survey, supported by the TU Federation Metalici Kremikovtzy, Ltd., with the aim of improving the company’s policy, 1994;
  • ISSP 1993 Environment I: Environment 1994, supported by the Ministry of Environment and the Open Society Fund;
  • ISSP 1992 Social Inequality II: Social Inequality 1993, conducted and supported by the Open Society Fund, 1993.

Center for Liberal Strategies

[55]  The Center for Liberal Strategies (CLS) was established in Bulgaria in 1994 as a foundation and a think tank. Some recent projects of the Center are:

• Measuring Balkan Public Agenda. This is a project aimed at measuring the public agenda in the Balkans as something different from the agenda of the elites. The means here are regular sociological surveys using the same questionnaire and conducted at the same time throughout the region, 2001-2002;
• Political and Economical Orientations of the People in Post-Communist Countries in Southeastern Europe 2001, international comparative survey (Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) funded by the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. and the Civic Education Project;
• Political and Economical Orientations of the Bulgarians. Ten Years after the Social Transformation 2000, nationwide representative survey;

Summary: current practice of empirical social research in Bulgaria

[56]  An analysis of recent practice in the field of empirical social surveys in Bulgaria reveals that three main issues merit particular attention when the possibilities of setting up a social science data archive are analyzed. These are the scope of the surveys, the methodology and data processing and archiving. When analyzing these issues, we will rely on the results from an expert survey carried out among the heads of 17 public and private sociological research institutions in Bulgaria by the Institute of Sociology in 1999 and 2000. ⁵ (Note5: Atanasov, A. et al. (2001): Public Opinion Polls in Bulgaria – State, Problems and Prospects, Sofia, Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and National Public Opinion Center; )

[57]  The first issue concerns the scope of the empirical social surveys. In this dimension we can distinguish a different territorial scope and different target groups. According to the territorial scope, social surveys carried out by various actors in Bulgaria during the last decade have been based on international comparisons, nationwide representative samples, regions (representative of one or more main administrative regions in the country) and local areas. The main target groups are the adult population of the country, households, young people, the military, mass media audiences, the press, etc.

[58]  The second issue concerns the methodology of the surveys. With regard to the sampling methodology, nationwide representative samples are most often used by the research institutions to carry out sociological surveys and opinion polls. The sample size varies between 1000 and 1300 respondents. The sample model is realized as a rule in two stages (two-stage nested sample). The second stage is formed on the basis of the next birthday principle as well as the Leslie Kish method. The estimation of maximum stochastic error is usually reported to be +/-3% for 50% relative frequency with 95% probability. Some of the private agencies frequently apply quota sampling methodology as well as typological sampling depending on the purposes of the surveys.  ⁶ (Note6: Atanasov, A. et al. (2001): Public Opinion Polls in Bulgaria – State, Problems and Prospects, Sofia, Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and National Public Opinion Center.)With respect to data collection methods, standardized face-to-face interviews are most often used by Bulgarian sociological research institutions. Self-administered questionnaires are rated as the second preferred data collection method. Researchers try to use unified modules (batteries of questions) in the surveys in order to meet the requirements for comparability of the results and to analyze the trends in the development of public attitudes over the course of time. Depending on the goals of the survey, a variety of data collection methods such as telephone interviews, in-depth interviews, focus groups, etc., are used. ⁷ (Note7: Atanasov, A. et al. (2001): Public Opinion Polls in Bulgaria – State, Problems and Prospects, Sofia, Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and National Public Opinion Center.)

[59]  The third issue concerns data processing and data archiving. SPSS software is most often used for data processing and statistical analysis of survey results. Some of the biggest private sociological agencies such as BBSS Gallup use their own software for data processing. All of the research institutions report that they have established their own data bank. The data are usually stored and kept in SPSS format. ⁸ (Note8: Atanasov, A. et al. (2001): Public Opinion Polls in Bulgaria – State, Problems and Prospects, Sofia, Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and National Public Opinion Center; )

3. Regulations concerning data access

[60]  There are no legal regulations concerning access to data from social surveys and opinion polls in Bulgaria. The professional community has also not agreed any joint regulations for data access. Data files normally come under the control of the research teams. Data access, as a common practice, has to be negotiated with the team leaders or with the heads of the institutions that have carried out the surveys. Since most of the empirical surveys result from projects funded by foreign donors, data are under temporary or permanent embargo. As far as data confidentiality and maintenance of secrecy are concerned, the Law on Statistics (Republic of Bulgaria, 1999) regulates this process in the Republic of Bulgaria. Confidentiality of reporting is guaranteed under Chapter 6. According to Art. 25 ⁹ (Note9: Republic of Bulgaria: “The Law on Statistics”, in: The Official Gazette, 57, 25.6.1999, amended in 42, 27.4.2001.), individual and personal data received may be used solely for statistical purposes. Data on individual reporters can only be provided to third parties if written permission has been received. In addition, Article 26 states that the bodies of statistics and their servants cannot make public or provide: individual statistical data; statistical data which may be combined in a way that leads to the identification of an individual person; and statistical data that summarize information for less than three units or in which the relative part of one unit is over 75 per cent of the total volume.

4. Funding situation of empirical social research in Bulgaria

[61]  The main sources of funding for empirical social surveys in Bulgaria come from International Organizations, foreign NGOs, foundations, universities, media, private firms and, to a small extent, from the national budget. The funding available for the development of science in Bulgaria has tended to decline over the last 20 years. One of the main indicators which describes this process is the share of Research and Development (R&D) expenditure in GDP (see Figure 1).

[62]  In 1984 there was the highest R&D intensity in Bulgaria, i.e. 2.5%. This indicator has clearly declined since 1990. In recent years R&D intensity has remained roughly stable at around 0.5% per annum.  ¹⁰ (Note10: Chovanova, R. (2001): “Economic Aspects of Development of Science in Bulgaria”, in: Genov, N. (ed.), Science in South Eastern Europe, Sofia, Union of Scientists in Bulgaria, 53-54;) Despite these very limited funds, empirical social surveys have been financed by the National Science Fund at the Ministry of Education and Science. Bulgarian researchers have also managed to attract funds for empirical surveys from the budgets of some state institutions such as the administration of the President, National Assembly and the Council of Ministers. Important sources of funding for social research in Bulgaria include various programs of the European Union, World Bank, UNESCO, UNDP, UNAIDS, UNICEF, NATO, Open Society Foundation, as well as foreign media. Bulgarian newspapers, magazines, private firms and some NGOs are also among the institutions that primarily commission and finance empirical social surveys in the country. Various political parties in Bulgaria primarily commission opinion polls, particularly during pre-election campaigns. Some of the private agencies like BBSS Gallup International, GFK Bulgaria and Vitosha Research work primarily with foreign mass media such as the BBC, The Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.

5. Assessment of the potential for establishing a National Social Science Data Archive and some views on further development

[63]  In this paragraph, we will briefly describe some positive developments and problems concerning the prospects for the establishment of a Social Science Data Archive in Bulgaria.

[64]  Most of the researchers, especially in the academic sphere, clearly understand the fact that data from sociological surveys are not analyzed and used thoroughly by the sociological community or decision-makers. There are many reasons for this situation, but the most important ones include difficult and unregulated data access, a lack of willingness to exchange data and information among the research institutions, significant data losses, etc.

[65]  On the other hand, there is a growing need for secondary data analysis from social surveys and opinion polls for educational purposes as well as the development of theoretical and methodological research. Potential users will be academic and educational institutions in Bulgaria and abroad, various NGOs, think tanks, etc. The results from the 1999-2000 expert survey shows that both the heads of public research institutions and private sociological agencies recommend improving information exchange and enhancing the role of the Institute of Sociology in this process. They think that the Institute should pay particular attention to the issues of methodology and organization of surveys, data exchange and the provision of data from the surveys available for secondary analysis. They also said that they would support the establishment of a National Data Archive.  ¹¹ (Note11: Atanasov, A. et al. (2001): Public Opinion Polls in Bulgaria – State, Problems and Prospects, Sofia, Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and National Public Opinion Center; ) This is a good starting point for the promotion of the idea to set up a social science data archive in Bulgaria. Existing data banks in the National Public Opinion Center Bulgaria (NPOC), in most of the private firms, data collections in different research departments of the Institute of Sociology, Departments of sociology at the Universities and Institute for Advanced Defense Research (IADR), could also be regarded as potential sources in this respect. At the same time there are some important problems that are worthy of discussion. The main problems can be summarized in four dimensions: organizational, psychological, financial and methodological.

Organizational problems

[66]  At least five organizational issues deserve attention when discussing the possibilities of setting up a social science data archive and potential cooperation between institutions involved in social research.

[67]  The first issue concerns the problem of ownership of data. This problem arises in two situations: firstly when foreign partners, Bulgarian NGOs or private firms finance the survey; secondly when a political party finances a survey. In both cases data access is very difficult and even impossible because the owner of the data places an embargo on the data. Another problem is that political parties normally want to publish that part of the data which shows it in a positive light.

[68]  The second issue concerns the institutional framework of a future social science data archive. This issue is very difficult to handle and could produce some tension because of hidden competition between the academic research and educational institutions as well as between public and private opinion poll institutes. One possible decision is to promote the idea in some of the research committees of the Bulgarian Sociological Association; or in a NGO with the specific goal of establishing and maintaining a data archive.

[69]  The third issue concerns the technology used in the surveys. Since omnibus surveys (marketing and opinion polls using a single questionnaire) are a common practice in Bulgaria, the data have to be divided in two parts. The first part contains the data from marketing research, which are usually confidential, and the second part contains the data from opinion polls, which could be stored in the archive.

[70]  The fourth important issue is the lack of documentation of the surveys, and particularly the fact that most of the questionnaires, description of data files, etc. are written in Bulgarian.

[71]  The fifth major organizational problem is the lack of training, which must also be taken into account as regards the possible establishment of a social science data archive in Bulgaria.

[72]  The financial problems, which are common to all Eastern European countries during the transition period, are well-known. The problems relating to the funding and equipping of a future social science data archive are probably the most difficult to be solved in the context of the current economic situation in Bulgaria. In this respect, it is not realistic to rely on the budget of any research institution in the country.

Psychological problems

[73]  The main psychological problems are the lack of a data sharing culture in Bulgaria and a lack of tradition in this respect. In addition, most of the researchers are reluctant to publicize data from their surveys because they do not believe that the data will be interpreted professionally.

Methodological problems

[74]  In spite of the common topics in most of the sociological research and opinion polls carried out in Bulgaria during the last decade, it is still difficult to carry out a correct comparative analysis of the results. Along with difficult data access, important problems include different wording in the questionnaires, different sampling and data collection methods, as well as a lack of information about the “cuisine” of the surveys. Some of the researchers are very sensitive on the last issue and are not willing to share information, especially about the definition of surveyed entities, the sampling model and size, the percentage of stochastic error, the percentage of “don’t knows”, etc.  ¹² (Note12: Atanasov, A. et al. (2001): Public Opinion Polls in Bulgaria – State, Problems and Prospects, Sofia, Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and National Public Opinion Center; ) Since some experience and archive initiatives already exist in Bulgaria, the prospects for establishing a social science data archive can be regarded as more optimistic than several years ago. The process will take at least 2 years, bearing in mind the current financial, organizational and psychological problems described above. Therefore, it is high time to launch a pilot project with the following objectives:

• To increase researchers’ awareness and understanding of the importance of setting up a Social Science Data Archive in Bulgaria.
• To provide researchers with data from international comparative surveys for secondary analysis and thus help promote a data sharing culture in Bulgaria.
• To assess current problems and possibilities for consolidation and integration of social science data as well as identify prospects for cooperation among Bulgarian social research institutions.
• To define common criteria for data storage in the archive and regulations for data access.
• To promote international cooperation and the exchange of experience in social science data archiving, and particularly in standards for data documentation, training of personnel, motivation of researchers to deposit data in the archive and guarantees of copyright of the authors.

[75]  There are several steps or main activities that have to be undertaken in this respect. They can be summarized as follows:

• Desk research on the experience of Central and Eastern European Countries in the establishment of Social Science Data Archives;
• Needs assessment - expert survey among the main actors in the field of social empirical research in Bulgaria as well as among the expected main users of data for secondary analysis;
• Specialized training of two Bulgarian experts in social science data archiving in the Central Archive for Empirical Social Research in Cologne, Germany;
• Establishment of an Information and Data Dissemination Center and equipping of two workstations with computers and other office technology for secondary data analysis;
• Establishment of a social science data bank from international surveys in which Bulgaria has taken part and provision of data for secondary analysis by Bulgarian researchers;
• Creation of a systematic index of existing data files and thematic cataloguing of surveys carried out in Bulgaria during the last decade;
• Translation into English of questionnaires, codebooks, etc. with the emphasis on recent surveys carried out in the last two to three years;
• Design and creation of a website and the provision of means for online analysis of data from recent surveys;
• Print out and dissemination of information materials about the opportunities for secondary data analysis provided by the archive;
• Development of a course on secondary data analysis for students in sociology at Sofia University;
• National Workshop with international participation to discuss the problems and prospects for consolidation and integration of sociological data in Bulgaria and the establishment of a Social Science Data Archive.

[76]  The process of establishment of the Bulgarian Social Science Data Archive should be based on a gradual and snowball approach. The first step should consolidate state-financed surveys and international surveys in which Bulgaria has taken part and which were carried out by academic research and educational institutions as well as the research centers of the state administration. The next step should incorporate surveys carried out by research teams in different non-profit-making organizations. The third step should include sociological surveys and opinion polls carried out by commercial research firms.

Update 2003:

The Establishment of the Social Science Data Archive in Bulgaria (SSDA)

[77]  The project was sponsored by the UNESCO Participation Programme and is carried out at the Research Centre Regional and Global Development (ROGLO) during the period October 2002 - October 2004. The establishment of the Social Science Data Archive (SSDA) in Bulgaria will contribute to the:

• accessibility of survey data,
• development of secondary data analysis
• data exchange with researchers abroad.

[78]  Potential users of the data are the academic and educational institutions in Bulgaria and abroad, various NGOs, think tanks, etc.

[79]  Objectives of the Data Archive Project are:

• to increase the researcher’s awareness and understanding of the importance to set up a Social Science Data Archive in Bulgaria.
• to make available data from international comparative surveys for secondary data analysis in Bulgaria and thus, to promote a data sharing culture.
• to assess current problems and possibilities for consolidation and integration of sociological data as well as to identify prospects for cooperation among Bulgarian sociological research institutions.
• to define common criteria for data storage in the archive and
• to promote international co-operation and exchange of experience in social science data archiving, and particularly in standards for data documentation, training of personnel and motivation of researchers to deposit data in the archive.

[80]  The main activities are:

• Desk research on the experience of already existing social science data archives in Central and East European Countries;
• Needs assessment: Expert survey among main actors in the field of social empirical research in Bulgaria as well as main expected users;
• Specialized training in social science data archiving;
• Establishment of the Information and Data Dissemination Centre and installation of two work stations for secondary data analysis;
• Establishment of a database containing data from international surveys in which Bulgaria has taken part and making it available to Bulgarian researchers;
• Indexing existing data files and the thematic catalogue of surveys carried out in Bulgaria during the last decade;
• Translation of questionnaires, data descriptions, etc. into English, with priority to recent surveys carried out in the last two-three years;
• Design and creation of a web page
• Dissemination of information materials about SSDA
• Organisation of an international workshop to discuss the prospects for consolidation and integration of sociological data in Bulgaria and the further development of SSDA. It is envisaged that the workshop will be integrated into the International Summer School "Best Practices in Archiving and Use of Data from Comparative Studies", organized by UNESCO and International Social Science Council.

2003

References

• Atanasov, A. et al. (2001): Public Opinion Polls in Bulgaria – State, Problems and Prospects, Sofia, Institute of Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and National Public Opinion Center;
• Bouroudjieva, T. (1999): “Public Opinion”, in: Genov, N. and Krasteva, A. (eds.), Bulgaria 1960-1995. National and Global Development, Sofia;
• Chakalov, B. (1988): Research on Dynamics of Public Opinion, Sofia, Nauka i Iizkustwo (in Bulgarian);
• Chovanova, R. (2001): “Economic Aspects of Development of Science in Bulgaria”, in: Genov, N. (ed.), Science in South Eastern Europe, Sofia, Union of Scientists in Bulgaria, 53-54;
• Dobreva, S. (1996): “Unified System for Sociological Information”, in: Dictionary of Sociology, Michailov, S. and Tilkidgiev, N. (eds.), Sofia, M&M, 114-115 (in Bulgarian);
• Dobreva, S. (1996): “Information Sociological Bank”, in: Dictionary of Sociology, Michailov, S. and Tilkidgiev, N. (eds.), Sofia, M&M, 178-179 (in Bulgarian);
• Ochavkov, Z. (1982): Thesaurus for Information of Empirical Sociological Surveys, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (in Bulgarian);
• Ochavkov, Z. (1982): Problems of the Unified System of Sociological Information, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences;
• Republic of Bulgaria: “The Law on Statistics”, in: The Official Gazette, 57, 25.6.1999, amended in 42, 27.4.2001.