Citizens' Opinion (in Finnish) is a survey panel focusing on society and politics. Members of the panel participate in different online surveys a few times each year. The panel is administered by Åbo Akademi University's Social Science Research Institute and is part of the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO) funded by the Academy of Finland. The recruiting of members for the panel began in 2019, and the panel currently has thousands of participants. The Citizens' Opinion panel offers possibilities to track developments in public opinion over time and makes it possible to react swiftly to current events and launch quick surveys that examine public opinion with a representative sample.
The data was used to map the opinions of Finnish individuals regarding measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, NATO membership, the Defence Forces, and other themes related to security policy and military conflicts in May 2022. The data was collected as part of the Public Opinion Panel, which is part of The Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO).
The questionnaire first asked respondents about their opinions on the targeting and fairness of COVID-19 measures. For example, respondents were asked whether the measures had prioritized economic considerations at the expense of public health, or vice versa. They were also asked whether the measures had been proportionate both at the time of data collection in May 2022 and since the beginning of the pandemic. The questionnaire also explored respondents' views on how various actors, such as the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) or different ministers, had handled the COVID-19 situation.
Next, the questionnaire examined respondents' opinions on NATO membership, the Defence Forces, and Russia's impact on Finland's security. Respondents were also asked whether Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 or the general developments in Russia caused them concern. Finally, respondents were asked to assess how the military situation in Finland's neighboring regions might develop over the next ten years.
Background variables in the dataset include the respondent's gender, native language, region, age, age group, and level of education.
The sample consists of the entire Public Opinion Panel, which had over four thousand participants at the time of the survey. Most of the panel participants have been recruited using various probability sampling methods. A small portion of the participants have been recruited through non-probability sampling methods, for example via self-recruitment forms advertised on social media.