The Survey Research Center is the largest of the four Centers of the Institute for Social Research (ISR). For more than 50 years, the Survey Research Center has been a national and international leader in interdisciplinary social science research involving the collection or analysis of data from scientific sample surveys. First, this involves conducting basic and applied empirical survey-based research that is theoretically informed.  SRC and the Institute for Social Research are pillars of empirical social science, but seek to bring their empiricism to bear on problems that are of both social and scientific importance. Second, but no less important, SRC's leadership involves the development, refinement, and propagation of the scientific method of survey research through teaching and training.