|
|
|
|
|
The UK Data Service is pleased to announce the first harmonised datasets, created by CLOSER are now available to download. The datasets harmonise body size and body composition variables (height, weight and BMI) across five of the UK's prestigious cohort studies:
- National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD)
- National Child Development Study 1958 (NCDS)
- 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70)
- Millennium Cohort Study (MCS)
- Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)
|
|
|
 A suite of 1981 Census microdata has been made available at the UK Data Service creating, in combination with other census holdings, a rich research resource for analysis of social change over the last 50 years.
The microdata samples were created as part of the Enhancing and Enriching Historic Census Microdata project led by the UK Data Archive with the University of Manchester. The Office for National Statistics and the National Records of Scotland also supported this work in order to make better use of existing data and to advance research based on census data.
|
|
 The UK Data Service is leading the development of a one-stop-shop to find datasets for social science research as part of its work with CESSDA, the Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives.
The Product and Services Catalogue (PaSC) automatically collects metadata from service providers across Europe but won’t hold data itself or provide access – instead, it will allow users to search the holdings of 15 CESSDA members across the continent and direct researchers to the source or service where they can obtain or analyse the data.
You can find more information about some of our work on our R&D pages.
|
|
|
 The April 2016 to March 2017 UK Data Service Annual Report is now available with a fresh new look and feel.
The Annual Report can be viewed on our website or downloaded. We hope that users and collaborators will find the Annual Report useful and informative. If you would like a printed version of the Annual Report please contact us at comms@ukdataservice.ac.uk.
|
|
|
The Scottish county, East Dunbartonshire has been recognised as the top location to live in the UK if you’re a woman, according to new academic research conducted by NatCen for BBC Woman’s Hour.
NatCen used data from several sources available from the UK Data Service, including the ONS Annual Population Survey, 2011 Census, Understanding Society and the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), to build a picture of women’s life in the UK.
Listen to the Woman’s Hour programme and read the report based on data available from the UK Data Service.
|
|
Research in the news using data in the collection
|
|
|
|
This article uses data from:
UK Census data
|
|
Introducing blogs from our new Data Impact Fellows for 2017, who discuss their research and roles:
Esmeralda Bon
Oliver Exton
Anthonia Ijeoma Onyeahialam
Aishah Selamat
Matteo Sandi
|
|
On 17 October the UK Data Service ran an event at The Studio in Manchester focused on opportunities and challenges for professionals working with administrative, monitoring or evaluation data in civil society organisations (CSO).
 Attendees from a wide range of charities and civil society organisations including Asthma UK, Scope, The Salvation Army, Crisis, Action on Hearing Loss and 42nd Street, and non-departmental public bodies, including Historic England, took the opportunity to meet to explore ways of managing and sharing data ethically and discussing how data can be used to demonstrate the impact of their activities.
The UK Data Service‘s Louise Corti and Scott Summers update us on this recent event...
|
|
 The team at the UK Data Service has been using its long standing expertise in processing, documenting and publishing data for reuse, to develop guidance and training for researchers in good data management practices.
It's great to see our data management guidance and training go global!
We’ve developed a collection of best practice guides, a handbook and accompanying teaching materials, following the logic of the data lifecycle and complemented by extensive guidance on the Service website.
|
|
James Brill, graduate developer and Louise Corti, Director of Collections Development and Producer Relations at the UK Data Service introduce us to the world of developing an innovative chatbot for answering research data management queries.
A chatbot is a computer program which responds to user input either by textual data (typing) or audio data (speaking). The UK Data Service wanted to utilise this emerging technology to benefit its users by reducing the response time for its research data management (RDM) queries. Louise explains: “The idea was inspired by a presentation on ‘Cognitive systems redefining the library user interface’ presented by Kshama Parikh at the International Conference on Changing Landscapes of Science and Technology Libraries in Gandhinagar in the province of Gujarat, North West India late last year.
|
|
If you would like to contribute please contact the blog editor victoria.moody@jisc.ac.uk or comms@ukdataservice.ac.uk
or tweet us @UKDataService @UKDSImpact
|
|
 The driving force behind this report came from Efua Dorkenoo, OBE, who was a leading campaigner against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The report contains estimates of the numbers of women with FGM born in countries where FGM is known to be practised and living in England and Wales in 2011.
The highest rates of prevalence for women and girls affected by FGM were found in London the region, with Southwark having the highest prevalence rate of 47.4 per 1,000.
Read the full report and case study.
|
|
 London Economics was commissioned by The European Commission to contribute to a report into the performance of SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) in the EU-28. The report was delivered by a team of research institutes and consultancies working alongside London Economics.
The findings present a positive performance for SMEs in the EU-28 countries reporting that:
- Between 2012 and 2013: value added grew by 1.6% and employment declined by 0.5%
- Between 2013 and 2014: value added grew by 3.3%. and employment grew by 1.2%
Read the full report and case study.
|
|
 The Resolution Foundation produced their sixth annual report on the prevalence of Low Pay in Britain. The report shows how pay has changed over recent decades and what the coming years might hold, particularly given the result of the UK’s EU Referendum and the introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW).
The NLW was introduced in April 2016 and is set to rise relative to typical pay through to 2020 and represents the most significant step forward in the battle against low pay since introducing the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in 1999. However, the report concludes that any suggestions of a return to pre-crisis pay levels remains some way off. The EU referendum is set to have far-reaching consequences across the economy and adds a level of uncertainty to the future of the NMW.
Read the full report and case study.
|
|
Let us showcase your work
Write for us: the Data Impact Blog is a hub for anyone interested in maximising the impact of social, population and economic data in research and policy. If you would like to contribute to the blog, please contact victoria.moody@jisc.ac.uk
Case studies: every day, data from the UK Data Service collection are used to inform research, influence policy and teach the next generation of social scientists. If you would like to submit a case study, simply download the form.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
