Government Social Research
Research Methods Training
Bursaries are now on open call - details from CCSR
Birkbeck, University of London, has announced the launch a new research centre, the Birkbeck Institute for Lifelong Learning (BILL).
The research of the Institute will focus on four areas:
The aims of the Institute are to:
The new Institute is being launched on Wednesday November 24 (6.00 - 8.00 pm) in Chancellor's Hall, Senate House.
For further information see www.bbk.ac.uk/ce/bill or for tickets please contact events@bbk.ac.uk.
The November issue of 'research' (www.research-live.com) has an article headed 'Unfair competition'
The article is about the ONS proposal, announced on 29 July, for a Continuous Population Survey which could include surveys which are currently put out to tender.
The same issue carries news of a new book 'Pains in public' by Andrew Holmes and Dan Wilson. Included in 'the 50 people most likely to drive you nuts' are pollsters - by which the authors mean all researchers who 'block your way in the High Street'. The article suggests that the 3 pages devoted to researchers, while essentially a light-hearted read, might illuminate the reasons for falling respondent rates.
An article in The Guardian for 1 November 2004 headed ' Council to monitor polling standards ', announces the launch of The British Polling Council.
This follows criticism that the polling industry was falling into disrepute because it was increasingly becoming the province of cowboys without ethics or standards, in a Commons motion backed by more than 80 MPs from all parties [External website] . The early day motion, on 14 September 2004, regretted the decline of self-regulation of British opinion polling companies and expressed concern about the lack of checks on the integrity of polls and polling organisations.
The new Council is intended to raise professional standards and help the public judge the reliability and validity of survey results. The founders of the council include ICM, Mori, NOP and the internet pollsters YouGov. It will require members to disclose their sampling methods, the procedures used to assess raw data and the full wording of their questions and answers. Membership will be restricted to companies that set out to measure the opinions of representative samples scientifically and are transparent about their methods.
Social researchers in the Finance and Central Services Department's Analytical Services Division (FCSD ASD) of the Scottish Executive have announced their 2004-05 Research Programme for:
The research is intended to inform policy development and implementation and evaluate the impact of policy.
OST has completed the 2004 Review of Research Councils UK which looked at the impact of RCUK on its external and internal stakeholders.
The Review was conducted by an independent panel under the chairmanship of Mr Phil Ruffles.