Understanding Society is the largest longitudinal study of its kind and covers a wide range of topics. This page outlines information about our value added datasets, data linkage and special licence and secure datasets available for expert users who frequently use our data.
DISCOVER
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Our datasets
The Data Releases page lists the latest Wave of data available for our Main Study as well as the other value added datasets we produce. Some of these datasets are available under Special Licence or Secure Access agreements and are explained on our Access the Understanding Society data web page.
Understanding Society data are available through the UK Data Service.
| Datasets | Dataset description |
| Main Survey and data files | The largest longitudinal household panel study of its kind collects data from over 40,000 participants about how their lives change and remain the same. Data have been collected for over a decade and if combined with its predecessor the British Household Panel Study span over 30 years. |
| Covid-19 Survey data | The Understanding Society COVID-19 survey allows researchers to explore how the pandemic impacted individuals, families and communities across the UK through our large and representative sample of the UK population. The covid data contain Waves 10 and 11 of the Main data and can be linked to the Main Study for other Waves. |
| Health, Biomarker, Genetics and Epigenetics data | Participants are asked about their health in the Main Study. Waves 2 and 3 contain a follow-up health assessment which collected a range of bio-medical measures and blood samples available in the Nurse Health Assessment dataset. Wave 16 will collect more bio-markers and blood samples including a biome sample. Special licence versions are available for these data which also include polygenic scores. |
| Innovation Panel | The Innovation Panel helps develop leading-edge survey methods and content for the Main Study by using experiments as a test-bed for our data. |
| Linked data | Understanding Society links information that we collect as part of the annual interview to external data sources collected by other organisations. Linkage usually refers to matching records held about an individual. However, we also link to external data at household-level, institution-level and area-level. Most of these datasets are available under Special licence or Secure access agreements. |
| Data enhancements including teaching datasets | Lecturers can teach longitudinal data analysis using our teaching datasets which are specifically designed to be used by students and new data users. |
| World-wide household panel studies | Understanding Society is part of a world-wide group of household panel surveys. Researchers interested in comparing international data can use CNEF files to find comparable variables across surveys. |
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Code Creator and Syntax code
There are two ways to work with our syntax code:
- Use our new Code Creator to extract data from the Main Understanding Society dataset. Select the variables you need from the Variable Search and create the code. It provides you with ready-made syntax to run on the downloaded data. Read how it works.
- Learn how to perform some common data management tasks using the Syntax files provided on the Data management syntax page e.g. merging two files, matching information of respondent and their partner etc. Syntax files for some of the derived variables provided with the data are also available and more will be added over time.
Share your syntax code
Share your syntax with us and we will add it to the User-deposited syntax page which lists syntax provided by other researchers who have used Understanding Society. To share syntax code please contact the user support team.
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Latest Research
We would like to document all research that uses our data so it can be featured in our Publications Library and occasionally in our news section. You can submit your research via our submission’s page.
The Publications Library shows the research that has already been carried out using the study. Use the search facility to filter by Subject, publication type, author and year of publication.
Understanding Society Working Papers and Methods publications
The Understanding Society Working Paper Series is a programme of methodological research undertaken by the scientific team behind the setting up and design of the survey.
Feature in our Podcasts
Listen to our latest podcast with researchers and experts on findings and policy issues.
Some of our podcasts are short introductions to a topic, whilst others are more in-depth conversations. If you would like to feature in a podcast please contact us.
Understanding Society Fellowship programme
To enable researchers to devote time to research that directly impacts on the Study, Understanding Society runs a Fellowship programme. These allow researchers to take time out to focus on projects based on Understanding Society data or methodological challenges.
The Fellowship programme provides funding for a 12-month full or part-time project, with additional resources for follow-on dissemination and impact generating activities. Practical support is available from the Study team to advise on data and analysis plans, communication and impact strategies.
Read more about becoming a Fellow and how to apply.
See Chart of the Week on Instagram featuring the latest research using Understanding Society data
LEARN
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Training Courses
We offer training beyond our introductory courses which are run throughout the year.
- The events page lists our up-coming training events
- Our Webinars contain different topic based presentations from mental health and wellbeing to geographical data linkage
- Teaching datasets can be used to teach longitudinal data analysis and methods. To support lecturers and teachers our datasets are designed to be used by students and new data users.
New self-help Moodle courses
You can also opt to do our Moodle course in your own time which uses the course material from the most recent training. The Moodle contains a website walkthrough and videos to explain the worksheets, syntax and output files.
SUPPORT
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User Support Forum
If you have a query and want to discuss it directly with our User Support team there are different ways to get in touch.
Our User Support Forum is a dedicated service for our users where you can search for questions which have been asked before. If your question hasn’t already been answered, you can post it on our User Forum. You just need to click on the link in the top right-hand corner to register. You can also contact the User Support team for an Online helpdesk session.
Receive the latest updates
- See the latest data releases and those which are planned
- Sign-up to our Newsletter for news and events
- Follow us on Twitter
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Data User Group
Members of the Data User Group provide a user’s perspective on our datasets before they are released. The Group members are data analysts already familiar with the Study and who have experience of using the data for research and teaching. Find out more about joining the Group.
Benefits of being a member
- Early access to the EUL pre-release data, 10 weeks before the data are available via the UK Data Service
- Access to the full version of data including value added income and weights will be shared for further checks four weeks before the data are released.
- Making a lasting contribution to UK Social Science research by suggesting improvements to the usability of data such as new derived variables or datasets, training workshops, user support resources.
- Opportunity to gain early insights in to proposed developments and changes to the Study
- Opportunity to network with members of this group, other data users