York University (Toronto, Ont.). Institute for Social Research

The Institute for Social Research was established at York University in 1965 as the Institute for Behavioural Research. The purpose of the Institute was to facilitate large-scale and inter-disciplinary research in the area of behavioural sciences.
It was originally divided into three sections. The Data Methods and Analysis Section offered data processing services and computer programmes designs to researchers. The Survey Research Centre, established in 1968, offered social science researchers various services in conducting research activity. The Data Bank served as a compendium of statistical data from the Gallup Poll organization, other polling groups and the Dominion Bureau of Statistics (Statistics Canada). Five Research Programmes were established by 1967: Bio-Psychological Research; Ethnic Research; Family Research; Political and Organizational Research; and
Psychological Research. These were joined in 1969 by programmes in Oral History and Judicial Behaviour.
By the mid-1970s the Institute had developed income-generating research activity on a national scale for governments and other agencies. The Institute relied heavily on the academic appointees of the university who served the Institute. The three units of the Institute were abandoned in the mid-1970s, all operations thereafter coming under the umbrella organization. The development of the Social Science Information System provided researchers with abstracts of important journal articles. To it were joined the Canadian Social Science Data Archives, which acted in the same way as the former Data Bank, the Canadian Census Data Management System and Canadian Women of Note, a biographical data bank of over 1000 Canadian women gathered for research purposes.
In 1983, Statistical Consulting Services was opened at the Institute, to offer the York community and outside researchers assistance in designing and conducting statistical research. In June, 1984 the Institute’s name was changed to Institute for Social Research.
The Institute has issued numerous publications, including research reports, monographic studies and newsletters. It also offers courses of instruction on survey methodologies and statistical programmes to York staff and students. The following men and women have served as Director of the Institute: Fred Schindeler,
1967-1973; H.M. Stevenson, 1974-1975; Bernard Blishen, 1975-1978; William Found (acting), 1979; A.H. Richmond, 1980-1983; Gordon Darroch, 1983-1988; and Valerie Preston, 1988-1991.

2019/06/11 J. Grant. Creation.