1 ESDS Government Vanessa Higgins Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research University of Manchester ESDS Awareness Day December 2003

2 Summary of talk Introduction to the large-scale government surveys ESDS government plans To promote and facilitate increased and more effective use of large-scale government survey datasets in research, and learning and teaching across a range of disciplines.

3 The large-scale government surveys General Household Survey Labour Force Survey Health Survey for England/Wales/Scotland Family Expenditure Survey British Crime Survey Family Resources Survey National Food Survey/Expenditure and Food Survey ONS Omnibus Survey Survey of English Housing British Social Attitudes National Travel Survey Time Use Survey

4 Benefits of the large-scale government datasets Good quality data –Produced by experienced research organisations –Usually nationally representative with large samples. Interviewers all over country –Good response rates –Well documented, ONS etc UKDA, QB Continuous data –E.g GHS 1971, allows comparison over time –Data is largely cross-sectional Hierarchical data –Individual and household –Intra-household differences –Household effects on individuals

5 Percentage of women aged cohabiting General Household Survey

6 ESDS Government Led by CCSR and working closely with the UKDA UKDA will continue to be responsible for acquisition of data and dissemination –dissemination mainly on-line/ much via NESSTAR CCSR will cover added value: -highlighting the research potential of datasets -providing help for users (new and old) -enhancements to datasets to promote research and teaching use -encourage interaction

7 Theme based approach Year 1: Employment and labour market Year 2: Health Year 3: Social exclusion Inform a lot of the value added products we produce.

8 Highlighting research potential Generate new users, –especially PhD students, younger researchers Train the trainers, –awareness raising PhD supervisors Do this via conference presentations, talks to graduate schools, articles in newsletters and journals Twice yearly newsletters

9 Help for users (1) Workshops on how to get started –2003: Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle, Surrey theme based, intro to surveys, access slides under events on: –2004: intro to large-scale government datasets with hands-on intro to analysis skills (June) Methods and new opportunities –weighting (March, London) –data linkage (May, Manchester) Other CCSR courses –SPSS/ STATA –data analysis methods –bursaries

10 Help for users (2) Web-based user guides –themed introductory guides Year 1, employment and labour market Year 2, health –STATA and SPSS –methodological topics e.g. weighting Survey web pages –Starting Analysis –link to ONS publications & useful websites –FAQs Helpdesk, Jiscmail list

11 Enhancements to datasets Produce extra derived variables User consultation to provide comparability with 2001 census: GHS & LFS key variables (consistent over time): GHS & LFS Database of contextual variables for each year regional/national rates of unemployment, RPI, interest rate for Geographically referenced variables linked to Common GIS: interactive web-based exploration and visualization tool for data with sub-regional geography. Teaching datasets Labour Force Survey 2002 (links to STATA guide) British Crime Survey 2000 Plan Health Survey for England in 2004

12 Interaction Developments at ONS and NatCen benefit and influence encourage interaction with research community maximise interests of data depositors, commissioning departments and research community User group meetings LFS October 2003 (establish annually) HSE January 2004 Family Expenditure Survey (FES) virtual user group (jisclist) High level annual research conference for policy makers December 2003 : Social & Demo Change December 2004 : health? Meetings/ongoing liaison with ONS & ESDS Govt

13 Summary Large-scale govt surveys provide valuable data sources for research and teaching Datasets available from ESDS Government at UKDA (Nesstar) ESDS Government at CCSR provide value added support: –theme based (year 1 employment, year 2, Health) –generate new users, educate supervisors –workshops for new users/more advanced workshops –survey web pages, help-desk, jiscmail lists –extra derived variables and geo-referenced variables –teaching datasets –user groups –research conference

14 Keeping in touch ESDS Government helpdesk –(0161) ESDS-govsurveys JISCmail –send the following message to subscribe esds-govsurveys first name second name -- Join the mailing list to receive newsletter – ESDS Government web pages – Events side bar menu for slides