The Institute is a unique establishment in Turkey: While most University Institutes in the country function solely on the basis of providing postgraduate education, the Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies is also active in research studies. Information gathered from the nationwide surveys and the smaller scale studies which have been carried out by the since the end of 1960s are used widely by national and international institutions. The wealth of information collected in these surveys maintains the role of the Institute as one of the most important providers of demographic data in Turkey. These information guide policy makers and service providers in Turkey. For instance, The State Planning Organization uses the results of the surveys carried out by the Institute in their five-year-development plans widely, and various ministries benefit from these results while evaluating the efficiency of their services.

A- Quinquennial Nationwide Population Surveys:

The first nationwide survey on population was held in 1963 by the School of Public Health under Ministry of Health and Social Aid, in corporation with Ministry of National Education and Population Council. In this survey, main concern was on collecting information on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding family planning. In this nation-wide survey, 3,500 households and 2,555 married women in reproductive ages were interviewed.

Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies has carried out quinquennial nationwide field surveys since the date of its foundation in 1967. These surveys provide researchers a very rich comparative demographic data source, in an environment where vital registration statistics are inadequate. The existence of such a series of surveys is very rare in the world.

During the 40 years following 1968, these surveys have been repeated 8 times more quinquennially. The 2008 Survey is the ninth survey in this series of surveys carried out by the Institute.

1968 Survey on Family Structure and Population Problems in Turkey (in collaboration with the Ford Foundation)

1973 Survey on Population Structure and Population Problems in Turkey (in collaboration with the UNFPA)

1978 Turkish Fertility Survey (in collaboration with the UNFPA)

1983 Turkish Fertility, Contraceptive Prevalence and Family Health Status Survey (in collaboration with the Westinghouse Health Systems)

1988 Turkish Population and Health Survey (in collaboration with USAID/US Centre for Disease Control)

1993 Turkish Demographic and Health Survey (in collaboration with MOH-MCH/FP and USAID/DHS/Macro International Inc.)

1998 Turkish Demographic and Health Survey (in collaboration with MOH-MCH/FP, USAID/DHS/Macro International Inc. and UNFPA)

2003 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey (in collaboration with MOH)

2008 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey (in collaboration with MoH, SPO and TUBITAK)

B- Other Projects and Field Surveys:

1970 Survey of Modernization and Urbanization in Ankara "Gecekondu" Areas

1970 Evaluation of the Effects of an Action Program on Contraceptive Use in the Villages of Tarsus District

1971 Internal Migration and Urbanization in Çankırı Province

1971 Operational Research for a Family Planning Program with Mobile Teams in the Tarsus Area (with the Development Foundation of Turkey)

1971 KAP Survey of Fertile Married Women in Etimesgut Health District

1974 Determinants of Labour Force Participation Rates in Turkey (with the ILO)

1975 Education Problems in Rural Turkey

1975 Health Practice and Contraceptive Use Baseline Survey Yozgat MCH/FP Project

1975 Return Migration of Turkish Workers: Effects and Implications for Policy

1975 Population Policy Formation and Implementation in Turkey (with the Smithsonian Institute)

1976 Adolescent Fertility in Turkey

1977 Determinants of Rural- Urban Migration in Turkey (with ILO)

1979 Survey on Child Employment

1981 Inventory of Population Projects and Activities in Turkey (with the State Planning Organization and the UNFPA)

1984 Population Problem in Turkey after three Conferences (in collaboration with Pathfinder foundation)

1985 National Immunization Campaign, Pre-Campaign Baseline Survey (with UNICEF)

1986 National Immunization Campaign, Post-Campaign (Evaluation) Survey (with UNICEF)

1990 Baseline Survey for Mother and Child Health and Family Planning in the Second Degree Priority Provinces in Development (with the Ministry of Health and UNFPA)

1990 Survey on the Knowledge of Mother and Child Health and Related TV Broadcasts (with the Turkish Radio and Television and UNICEF) (Türkiye Radyo Televizyon Kurumu ve UNICEF işbirliği ile)

1990 Determination of Factors Contributing to Population Policies (with the UNFPA)

1991 Evaluation Survey for Mother and Child Health and Family Planning Project in 20 Provinces with First Degree Priority in Development (with the Ministry of Health and UNFPA)

1994 Understanding Socio-cultural Factors Affecting Demographic Behaviour and Implications for the Formulation and Execution of Population Policies and Programs (with UNESCO)

1995 Evaluation Survey for Mother and Child Health and Family Planning Services in the Second Degree Priority Provinces in Development (with the Ministry of Health and the UNFPA)

1996 International Migration Survey (with EUROSTAT and NIDI)

1996 Intersectoral Volunteers Training Project (with UNICEF)

1998 Baseline Survey of "IEC Intervention in Gecekondu Areas in Turkey" (with Ministry of Health and European Union)

1998 Strengthening Population and Development in Turkey (with UNFPA)

2002 Qualitative Survey: Contraceptive Methods and Induced Abortions (2003 TDHS Preparation Study (November 2002 - April 2003)

2003 A Demographic Perspective to the Millennium Development Goals: Population and Reproductive Health in Turkey (in collaboration with UNFPA)

2005 Turkey National Maternal Mortality Study (in collaboration with MOH)

2005 Turkey Migration and Internally Displaced Persons Survey (in collaboration with State Planning Organization)

2008 National Research on Domestic Violence Against Women in Turkey (Beneficiary Institution: T.R. Prime Ministry Directorate General on the Status of Women)