Government Social Research
Department for Transport publish:
21 June 2007 - ESRC publish report by RAND on metrics in the social sciences.
Volume one presents the main findings and summary details of case studies illustrating the examples of impact of the programme's research, whilst volume two provides more in-depth supporting information for each of the case studies, together with a review of the literature on social science impact assessment methods.
Understanding Population Trends and Processes (UPTAP) publish the first four findings
UPTAP is an ESRC funded initiative which is set to run until the end of 2009. There are currently 24 projects involving 36 researchers, and the programme is coordinated by Professor John Stillwell of Leeds University.
20 June 2007 - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) launch an online calculator
The calculator uses government-recognised data and calculations to enable
people to calculate their carbon footprint from home energy, appliances
and transport. The calculator then develops a personalised action plan for
users, with steps they can take to cut their emissions.
The calculator is a public ‘trial’ or beta version. Further
updates of the calculator will be released over the next few months with
the addition of more features.
With the support of the Government, the software developers d::gen network
limited will be licensing the underlying software and algorithms that calculate
the CO2 footprint under “open licenses”.
ONS Methodology Directorate publish Spring 2007 issue of the 3 Moons Newsletter (PDF)
19 June 2007 - Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) publish Education and youth transitions in England, Wales and Scotland 1984-2002
The publication finds that, while young people in Britain increasingly value education and stay on at school, overall levels of attainment and participation were higher in Scotland. And despite wider inequalities, Scottish working-class youngsters consistently outperformed their English peers.
The project included construction of comparable time-series data sets from the England and Wales Youth Cohort Study and the Scottish School Leavers Survey. These follow more than 20,000 young people aged 16-19, collecting information such as whether they are employed, in full or part-time education, on a training scheme, or doing something else. Also gathered is information about qualifications, family background and other socio-economic data.
18 June 2007 - ESRC publish Social Sciences (Issue 66)
Contents include:
15 June 2007 - Audit Commission publish National Studies Update (Edition 4)
Contents include:
13 June 2007 - Joseph Rowntree Foundation published A review of poverty dynamics research in the UK
A systematic literature review of research tracing household movements in and out of poverty over time.
Dynamics research presents a dramatically more comprehensive understanding of poverty than point-in-time studies. While point-in-time studies provide a static ‘snap shot’ of the population at a given moment, dynamics or longitudinal research traces the same individuals or households over time and so is able to record stories of change.
Welsh Assembly Government publish report on 'Working Together'
A joint meeting between Scottish Executive, Office of the Chief Researcher and Welsh Assembly Government, Office of the Chief Social Research Officer; Cathays Park, Cardiff, April 2007
Scottish Executive publish the next issue of the Children, Young People and Social Care Analytical Newsletter at the end of June.
If you would like your name to be added to the distribution list, please email the editor, marie-amelie.viatte@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
This quarterly newsletter, produced by the Children, Young People & Social Care Analytical Services Unit, is targeted primarily at Scottish Executive staff, but is also available to external partners and stakeholders. It focuses on Scotland, but also includes UK and international items of particular significance. The newsletter covers analytical publications (research, stats and economics), other key reports recently published, top news, and events, relating to a wide range of policy areas such as child protection, youth justice, early years, parenting, and youth work.
11 June 2007 - Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University of London publishes the results of the second sweep of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS)
Conducted in 2003-2005, the second sweep of the MCS, involving over 16,000 children, has been able to chart the changing circumstances of families and relate children's outcomes at aged three to earlier circumstances and experiences. The sample was designed to provide adequate numbers from areas with high proportions of minority-ethnic residents (in England) and high child poverty, as well as each country in the UK.
Three-year-olds took the British Ability Scales (BAS) Naming Vocabulary subtest. The interviewer asks the child to name a series of pictures of everyday items. There are 36 items in total, although the number each child is asked about is dependent on their performance. The assessment is terminated if five successive items are answered incorrectly. BAS assesses the expressive language ability of children. It was not administered to children who do not speak English. School readiness was assessed using six subtests of the Revised Bracken Basic Concept Scale, comprising the assessment of children’s basic concepts such as colours, letters, numbers/counting, sizes, comparisons and shapes.
6 June 2007 - Communities and Local Government publish the 2005 EHCS Annual Report
This report presents findings from the 2005 English House Condition Survey and provides an update of progress made since 1996 and 2001 towards providing better living conditions in England. The survey covers a number of key policy areas including, decent homes, housing conditions of vulnerable households, energy efficiency of homes, quality of the local environment and the living conditions of disadvantaged groups.
5 June 2007- Audit Commission launch National Studies Programme 2007-08 Consultation
Proposed topics include:
The Audit Commision would welcome views on the list of proposed topics - email nationalstudies@audit-commission.gov.uk in whatever format you find easiest.
The closing date for this consultation is 9th July 2007; however Audit Commission will continually take new study suggestions through the same email address.
National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) announce call for the second round of nodes
Closing date is 24 July 2007
A first round of six nodes was commissioned between April 2005 and 2008 and information about these nodes and their activities is available on the NCRM website.
PDF file of the NCRM call for centre nodes
Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex, begin user consultation for ESRC-commissioned UK Household Longitudinal Survey
Aim is to develop a set of priorities for the UKHLS questionnaire content. Consultation will be organised through 10 broad subject areas, one of which is 'Standard of living measures', including income, consumption expenditure, multiple deprivation indicators, financial well-being, wealth and assets, etc.
The process begins with a general launch meeting on Tuesday 19 June 2007, 10am-4pm, at the Royal Statistical Society (12 Errol Street, London EC1Y 8LX), and is followed by topic-specific events, including the 'Standard of living measures' one at the same venue on Monday 16 July 2007, 1pm-5pm.