Government Social Research
Updates provisional guidelines originally issued in 2002. It covers all the elements of the review process, including protocol, literature searching, inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction, critical appraisal, data synthesis and presentation of findings.
Demos publish The received wisdom: opening up expert advice
The modern world needs experts. They are everywhere. In government, we are told that they are a resource - ‘on tap, not on top.’ But experience over the last 20 years, from BSE to MMR and beyond, has punctured the old, ‘speaking truth to power,’ model of expertise. The policy response to BSE has been to open up. But are we making the most of openness?
Welsh Assembly Government publish:
Housing and Community
Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO)
OCSRO and the Statistics Directorate (SD)
Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills
21 December 2006 - ONS publish Report of the Inter Departmental Task Force on International Migration Statistics
19 December 2006 - Department for Transport publish Using the legal system in reducing crime and anti social behaviour on public transport
Findings of national research conducted in 2005
19 December 2006 - Home Office publish Statistical Bulletin 17/06 - Young people and crime
Findings from the 2005 Offending, crime and justice survey
18 December 2006 - ESRC publish Family dynamics after divorce: a meta-analysis’
The research is based on a meta analysis of existing qualitative longitudinal data, gathered in three studies, beginning in 1994, on 28 post divorce families over an 8 year period. The aim is to explore the dynamics of post divorce family life from the perspectives of different family members, thereby advancing understanding of how integenerational and sibling relationships are constituted and 'worked out' over time.
Covers key achievements and good practice from the first round of local transport plans.
14 December 2006 - Home Office publish Gun crime: the market in and use of illegal firearms
"Little is known about criminal attitudes towards the market in and use of illegal firearms and the relationship, if any, between gun crime, illegal drug markets, gangs and a supposed ‘gun culture’. This limits the development of policy, policing practice and an understanding of the impact of firearms legislation. This research addresses these gaps by presenting evidence from qualitative in-depth interviews with 80 recently convicted and imprisoned male Firearms Act offenders aged 18 to 30 in England. The report also identifies potential interventions and deterrence strategies." (Abstract)
December 2006 - Council for Science and Technology (CST) publish Health impacts - a strategy across government
Main recommendations are:
DTI publish Changing job quality in Great Britain 1998 - 2004 (PDF - 593Kb)
11 December 2006 - Mathematica publish semimonthly update
Contents include:
11 December 2006 - Scottish Executive publish Extended Schools Childcare pilot: final report
Aimed to address the barrier to work for lone parents through providing 'a virtual childcare guarantee' to help them into work. Finds that childcare is perhaps not best addressed in isolation and that, given the heterogeneity of lone parents, different solutions are required for different lone parents.
7 December 2006 - Home Office publish The Intermittent Custody Pilot: a descriptive study
"...evaluates the implementation and operation of Intermittent Custody (IC) - a new custodial sentencing option enacted by the current Criminal Justice Bill. IC denies offenders their liberty whilst still allowing them to work, to learn new skills and to maintain family or community ties ... examines offenders sentenced to IC since the pilots started running on 26 January 2004 ...Overall, IC was welcomed as a means of mitigating the often disproportionate impact of short custodial sentences for offenders with employment and childcare responsibilities. However, a shortage of offenders suitable for weekday IC implied that weekend custody was the only viable option." (Abstract)
6 December 2006 - Department for Education and Skills publish Response to consultation on successor of Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)
New overarching framework for assessing research quality and allocating funding which is more metrics based.
6 December 2006 - HM Treasury publish A review of UK health research funding
Recommends specific actions which Government can take to ensure that publicly funded health research is carried out in the most effective and efficient way, and to facilitate rapid translation of research findings into health and economic benefits.
5 December 2006 - Scottish Executive publish:
National transport strategy:
4 December 2006 - DTI publish Office of Science and Innovation review of science in Defra
Examines how the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) manages and uses science as part of its planning and policy-making. Chief Government Social Researcher, Sue Duncan, was a member of the Steering Committee.
4 December 2006 - Mathematica publish semimonthly update
Contents include:
1 December 2006 - ONS announce detailed consultation
On ethnic group, national identity, religion and language, as part of preparations for the next Census in 2011. This follows up the general consultation which took place in 2005. To contribute, please complete the questionnaire and return it to ethnicity&identity@ons.gov.uk by 5 January 2007.
For reference: