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The United Kingdom Longitudinal Household Study

Providing new insights into our lives

Innovation Panel

A tool for survey methodology research

Data from Waves 1 and 2 of the Innovation Panel are now available from the Economic and Social Data Service.


To guide the development and implementation of innovations in data collection methods and procedures and to develop new areas of substantive research, Understanding Society includes a separate sample (or sub-sample), referred to as the "Innovation Panel". This sample, is selected and interviewed for methodological development and testing purposes. The Innovation Panel is a vehicle for carrying out experimental designs in a longitudinal context so is a unique resource for methodological research. The Innovation Panel is an essential tool to aid good decision making and ensure the long-term health of Understanding Society.

This is achieved by using the Innovation Panel to test questions, procedures and methods in a context that is similar to the main Understanding Society survey and other household panel surveys, and with a sample size that is sufficiently large to enable quantitative evaluation.

The basic design of the Innovation Panel replicates as far as possible that of the main Understanding Society survey in order to provide a realistic test bed. In particular, this indicates:

  • a similar initial sample design
  • the same following rules and procedures over time
  • procedures to ensure similar response rates
  • data collection waves at annual intervals
  • interviews of similar length and burden and on similar topics to the main survey.

Wave 1 of the Innovation panel was carried out in spring 2008 and has been followed by annual waves of data collection since. Details of the Innovation Panel sample are available here.

The first four waves have included innovative studies aiming at improving survey processes, at reducing non-response, non-response bias and attrition, and examining statistical issues for data analysis. More information on the experiments and findings from the first waves of the Innovation Panel is available on the pages describing the methodological research on Understanding Society.

There is an annual invitation for academics and researchers to submit proposals for methodological studies to be incorporated on the Understanding Society Innovation Panel.