Columbia University. Bureau of Applied Social Research

The Bureau of Applied Social Research, headed by sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld, was established in 1944 and helped make Columbia a pioneering institution in the social sciences. Through empirical research, ideas regarding the functioning of individuals and groups were developed and tested. Many ground-breaking studies were conducted by Lazarsfeld and his colleagues, among the most important of which was the impact of radio and television on the American public. Through such work, the Bureau become the "birthplace" of mass communication research. Many survey techniques were developed at the Bureau, such as the focused interview and panel interviewing methods. The Bureau was eventually succeeded by the Center for the Social Sciences in 1976.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED The Bureau of Applied Social Research, headed by sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld, was established in 1944 and helped make Columbia a pioneering institution in the social sciences. Through empirical research, ideas regarding the functioning of individuals and groups were developed and tested. Many ground-breaking studies were conducted by Lazarsfeld and his colleagues, among the most important of which was the impact of radio and television on the American public. Through such work, the Bureau become the "birthplace" of mass communication research. Many survey techniques were developed at the Bureau, such as the focused interview and panel interviewing methods. The Bureau was eventually succeeded by the Center for the Social Sciences in 1976.