News from Understanding Society
Understanding Society - New data release
22 February 2012
Longitudinal research making use of Understanding Society is now possible for the very first time with an interim release of the survey's second wave of data. Wave 2 includes the second round of annual interviews with people who participate in the survey, which asks wide-ranging questions about their working and personal lives, attitudes and beliefs. The remaining information from Wave 2 is due to be released in the autumn.
UK is a nation of supportive partners
14 February 2012
Partners provide a vital source of positive emotional support for the vast majority of people in the UK. Nine out of ten people who were married or cohabiting talk to their partner about their worries, according to data from Understanding Society, the world’s largest longitudinal household study of 40,000 UK households. Ninety four per cent of those surveyed rely on their partner for support when a problem crops up.
First data wave from Understanding Society
23 November 2011
The first large data hoard from the Understanding Society survey is now becoming available to researchers. As the survey’s first 'full wave' of information has been deposited with the UK Data Archive, interviews with 100,000 people in 40,000 UK households are for the first time accessible for research analysis.
New Innovation Panel data offers exciting research opportunities
19 September 2011
Data from Waves 1 and 2 of the Understanding Society Innovation Panel are now available to download providing an exciting new research opportunity. The Innovation Panel is used to test questions, procedures and methods in a context that is similar to the main Understanding Society survey and other household panel surveys, but with 1500 households also has a sample size that is sufficiently large to enable quantitative evaluation in its own right.
Resilience amongst the long term ill
11 July 2011
People who have a long term debilitating physical illness demonstrate mental resilience, according to Understanding Society. The first findings reveal that people diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, respiratory or cardiovascular disease report similar mental health scores to those without physical illness.
Bedtimes and Pensions: Conference showcases the wealth of longitudinal research
27 June 2011
The Understanding Society/BHPS Conference 2011 conference brings together researchers from all over the world to present and discuss a variety of research, using data primarily from two of Britain’s most comprehensive household longitudinal studies.
Mum's the word when it comes to children's happiness
3 April 2011
Young people's satisfaction with their family situation is clearly related to the quality of relationships with parents and especially their mother’s happiness. The research findings come from the first findings from Understanding Society, the world’s largest household panel study managed by the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex.
Call for proposals - Methodological Studies
31 March 2011
Academics and researchers are now invited to submit proposals for methodological studies to be incorporated on the Understanding Society Innovation Panel wave 5. The deadline for receipt of proposals is June 2 2011.
The better off sleep better
4 March 2011
The employed and self-employed enjoy much better sleep than those out of work, according to Understanding Society, the world’s largest longitudinal household study.
The UK maintains a positive outlook, despite the recession
3 March 2011
A survey of households across the UK taken at the height of the recession in 2009 show 67 per cent of people in full-time work were living comfortably or doing alright and that unemployed people were broadly optimistic about their future prospects.
UK youth are happy after all?
2 March 2011
Young people in the UK are very satisfied with their lives, with 70 per cent rating themselves as happy or very happy. These are the first findings from Understanding Society, the world’s largest household panel study managed by the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex.
The first steps to Understanding Society
28 February 2011
The first findings from the world’s largest study of households are now published. With data on our working lives, relationships, health, finances and neighbourhoods the Understanding Society publication gives an early taste of the social landscape of the UK as the country fell into the deepest recession for 60 years.
The UK’s largest household longitudinal study launches its early findings
28 February 2011
Understanding Society, the largest household panel study in the world, publishes its first book of findings drawn from Wave 1 data collected in 2009. This first volume is an initial analysis of the data by researchers from ISER and the universities of Oxford, Surrey and Warwick.
The UK is a nation of happy couples
14 February 2011
Whether you are married or cohabiting with your partner, the vast majority of couples in the UK are happy in their relationship. Initial findings from Understanding Society show that around 90 percent of individuals who are living with a partner are happy with their relationship.