On Monday, October 5, I’ll present to survey methodologists, postgraduate students from political science, communication, information, and statistics at the University of Michigan’s Survey Methodology Lab to discuss a question that sits at the heart of my work at Generation1.ca: What can researchers responsibly conclude when the people reached by a study do not adequately represent the population they need to understand?
Drawing on our research with immigrant members and our recent work with census-anchored synthetic modelling, I’ll explore where representation gaps arise, what community-based research can reveal, and how population benchmarks can help us assess the evidence. I’ll also examine the limits of probability-informed and nonprobability approaches, and the risks of giving AI-augmented data more precision than the underlying research supports.
The discussion offers an important opportunity to compare the Canadian and U.S. research landscapes. Both countries need better evidence about diverse and changing populations, but their population benchmarks, research infrastructure and professional contexts differ. What can researchers working across the border learn from each other about reaching people who are routinely missed and about being clear on what their data can and cannot say?
I’m looking forward to bringing an industry and community perspective to a room of survey methodologists and students, and to discussing how imperfect evidence can still inform better programs and decisions when its limits are made visible. If your institution would like a similar presentation please email me at Arundati@generation1.ca.
About Generation1.ca CEO
Arundati Dandapani, MLitt, CAIP, CIPP/C, CIPM, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Generation1.ca and a professor of research, analytics and insights at Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber. Now in its 11th year, Generation1.ca turns research on immigrant experiences into year-round programs that expand professional opportunity advancing diverse global newcomer and immigrant integration outcomes. Author of numerous articles, a few books with more forthcoming including various courses and masterclasses and the creator and trainer of AAPOR’s 2025-26 Most Popular Short Course, Arundati is also the Founder and Chair of AAPOR’s Global Research Affinity Group and also serves on the Executive Council of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) representing Inclusion and Equity for 2026-27.
As the founding CIO of the Canadian Research Insights Council and founding Chief Operating Officer of CAIP Canada, Arundati helped strengthen Canada’s research and insights profession by pioneering communications, professional development and credentialing initatives. A founding Judge of Esomar and m-Tabs’ illustrious global awards, the Insights250 until date, Arundati also leads on the IAPP’s Certification Advisory Board (2023-2029), contributing to the development and launch of its AI Governance Professional credential, the world’s first professional credential dedicated to upskilling data leaders with AI governance skills and continues to offer expertise across global, local and national data conferences, podcasts, webinars, programs and publications.
In 2024, she won Esomar’s Best Paper of the Year Award for Voicing the New Global Immigrant Realities: Empowered Insights for an Underserved Market, selected from work by several hundred researchers across Esomar’s international conferences around the world. Her work continues to connect research on underrepresented populations with skills development, community programs and guidance for decision-makers.
