Understanding Changing Lives – Introduction to Understanding Society

Using the Understanding Society study

To support the wider business and trade union community, we have designed a free customised briefing course on the unique design of the study, how to use the data and evidence emerging from the study, and the work of its Policy and Partnerships Unit. Understanding Society: UK Household Longitudinal Study interviews its core sample, comprising of UK residents and their households, every year. The data helps understand changes in the lives of UK residents over time.

Understanding Society can be used to assess how societal developments, economic phenomena and public policies are changing the circumstances, behaviours and outcomes of individuals, households, demographic groups, places and generations. A wide range of applications can be made of the data in this dynamic context. For example, the data can be used to research the changing nature of work, health and the labour market, to monitor key trends, to assess the impact of potential policy ideas or evaluate existing policy, and so on. It can provide deeper and more joined-up insights critical to break out of siloed or short-term thinking. Use of Understanding Society data for research is free of charge, unless research is used to produce a product or service that is for commercial purposes (i.e., requires payment).

In general, Understanding Society enables research into:

• The effects of key events on people’s lives whether driven by macro-economic events, public policies or personal and family circumstances

• Work quality, employment, skills, social mobility and living standards

• Behavioural factors in key areas of life, such as pro-environmental and health behaviours, and the scope to influence change

• Demographic groups and smaller sub populations, including ethnic minority and immigrant groups

• The interaction between work, health and care and implications for workforce attraction and retention

• Regional and sub-regional changes over time and the ‘effects of place’ (the sample is representative of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and each English region).

You can search our database of research publications and reports produced using the data here. To enable such a vast array of research, Understanding Society study has a complex sample design and consequently a complex data structure. Analysing the data or commissioning research requires a good knowledge of what types of research questions can be answered using the study. To use the data, you will need answers to questions such as: Who is interviewed? When and how often are they interviewed? What are they asked?

Who is the course for?

This briefing course is a generalist course, designed for staff with a role in consumer/market research, data science, social research, policy analysis, strategic human resources, regulation, environment and public affairs/investor relations. The free detailed briefing course covers a combination of lectures, a demonstration and an advice session. It will guide participants through the key features and design of Understanding Society, its content, the data structure and how to access the data. It will include case studies of how the data is being used in practice by leading organisations and also how to access published research from the Study. The training course will be virtual.

Course content: what will you learn?

• What is panel/longitudinal data and what types of analysis you can do with this data, including Understanding Society

• Design of Understanding Society, what information is collected, how is it collected, how often and from whom

• The availability of linked geographical and other external data, and access conditions

• How to find variables using the interactive online documentation and access the data

• Examples of uses, work of the Policy and Partnerships Unit, and resources and user support available

• How is Understanding Society data structured and tips for analysis

Data management training course

This course will not cover how to manage and set up the data for analysis. An enormous amount of data is collected at multiple levels (adults, young persons, households) and multiple time points and the data is provided as in multiple datafiles. We run 2-day hands-on training courses on data management (in SPSS, STATA and R) where you can learn how to set up the data for different types of analysis. Let us know at the end of the course if you are interested in attending this course.

Programme outline

11.55 – 12.00 Registration and technology checks

12.00 – 13.00 Understanding Society overview

13.00 – 13.30 Lunch break

13.30 – 14.30 Understanding Society data content

14.30 – 15.00 Uses of the data & Policy

15.00 – 15.15 Break

15.15 – 16.15 Online resources and scoping your research idea

16.15 – 16.45 Tips for analysis

16.45 - 17.00 Q&A session; discussion of potential research interests

17.00 End