Government Social Research
Recent Government Social Research publications and publications relevant to social researchers are listed alphabetically below.
If you would like to submit a publication to be posted on this page, please contact the GSR web team or your Communications Committee representative.
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Academy Bulletin No.1/24 Scottish Academy for Health Policy and Management Provides a summary of proposals for the foundation of the Scottish Academy for Health Policy and Management
Ageing and diversity: multiple pathways and cultural migrations . Edited by Svein Olav Daatland and Simon Biggs. Policy Press 2005.
ALT Learning Technology Research Strategy: 2005 - based on ALT belief in an ongoing requirement to bring together researchers, practitioners, developers, and resource controllers in order to ensure effective deployment. Only in this way can 'embedding' of e-learning - sought by the funders - be achieved.
Alternative Approaches to Modelling Work Incentives: Comments on the issues Ian Walker, University of Warwick and IFS - presentation given at DWP seminar 'A Role for Laboratory Experimentation in Evaluating Welfare-to-Work Programmes in Britain?', 24 September 2004
UK On The Spot Accident Data Collection Study - Phase II
Analysis of the On The Spot (OTS) Road Accident Database
Approaches to assessing the non-academic impact of social science research (pdf) Davies H.T.O., Nutley S.M., Walter I. University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2005. Report of the ESRC symposium on assessing the non-academic impact of research, 12-13 May 2005
Assessing quality in applied and practice-based educational research: a framework for discussion John Furlong and Alis Oancea , Oxford University Department of Educational Studies, 2005 - the result of a project commissioned by the ESRC to clarify the terminology and concepts involved, so that appropriate quality criteria might be developed to assess the effectiveness of this type of research.
Assessing research impact: report of RURU Seminar 3, 15-16 January 2004 (pdf) Walter I., Nutley S.M. and Davies H.TO., University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2004
Better evaluation for evidence-based policy: place randomized trials in education, criminology, welfare, and health / Robert Boruch, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , 2005 599(1) complete issue, May 2005
Birth to School Study: A longitudinal evaluation of the Peers Early Education Partnership 1998-2005 (pdf) [DfES website], DfES, 2005 - presents the findings of the Birth to School Study. It concludes with the policy implications of the research, and makes recommendations for further areas of study in order to continue to build an evidence base for policy and practice in the field.
Black and Minority Ethnic Communities and Homelessness in Scotland, Scottish Executive, Development Department Analytical Services Group, Housing and Regeneration, 2004 (Contact: Celia McKenna, Scottish Executive)
Bridging the policy/research divide: reflections and lessons from the UK (pdf) Nutley S.M. Keynote paper presented at Facing the future: engaging stakeholders and citizens in developing public policy. National Institute of Governance Conference, Canberra, Australia 23/24 April 2003
Bridging the policy-research divide: reflections and lessons from the United Kingdom / Nutley S.M. Canberra Bulletin of Public Administration 108 (June 2003): 19-28
The British Journal of Sociology - scholarly journal published on behalf of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Some content is free to view - ask your librarian for guidance.
The British Lone Parent Cohort and their Children 1991 to 2001 , DWP, April 2004 Research Report No. 209 For all DWP reports contact Paul Noakes at Paul.noakes@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Building Research Capacity , May 2004, Issue 8, Cardiff: Cardiff University School of Social Sciences. Research Capacity Building Network - Special issue: Making qualitative judgements of quality, features responses by Ruth Boyask, Elizabeth Murphy and Robert Dingwall, Saville Kushner, Harry Torrance to the GCSRO publication Quality in qualitative evaluation: a framework for assessing research evidence
Building better connections: interagency work and the Connexions Service by Bob Coles, Liz Britton and Leslie Hicks, Policy Press in association with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2004
The Campbell Collaboration: Helping to Understand What Works National Institute of Justice Journal, volume 251 - provides important information for policy makers and social researchers about the Campbell Collaboration
Exploring public attitudes to personal carbon dioxide emission information
Challenging health inequalities edited by Elizabeth Dowler and Nick J. Spencer.-Policy Press, 2007 - offers a multi-disciplinary perspective on tackling health inequalities in a rich country, examining the New Labour policy agenda for tackling health inequalities and its inherent challenges.
Coming to the table with Acas: from conflict to co-operation/ Dix, G and Oxenbridge, S In Employee Relations Journal, Vol. 26, Issue 5, 2004 (Contact: soxenbridge@acas.org.uk )
Civic participation in public policy-making: a literature review [Scottish Executive website], Scottish Executive, 2005 - since devolution there has been a steady increase in the involvement of individuals and groups from across Scottish civic society in Scottish Executive policy making. The Office of Chief Researcher commissioned work to take stock of current activity and to investigate key concerns when developing this important area. The work included a review which identified 273 activities contributing to 191 policy initiatives in 2004.
Communities, Social Exclusion and Crime by Rt. Hon. David Blunkett MP, Barbara Roche MP, Professor Roger Graef, Professor Mike Hough, Dr Jessica Jacobson, Matthew Baggott QPM, Alison Hannah, Tabitha Taylor Higginson, David Hooker, Sir Charles Pollard, Andy Hawthorne. Edited by John Grieve CBE QPM and Roger Howard, Smith Institute , 2004 - a series of specially commissioned essays by experts in a wide range of fields associated with crime, social exclusion and community building. It seeks to highlight a number of areas upon which policy must focus if the Government is to achieve its overarching aims.
2004 Compendium of Regulatory Impact Assessments , Employment Market Analysis and Research, 2005 (URN 05/1018)
Conceptual synthesis 1: the diffusion of innovations (pdf) Nutley S.M., Davies H.T.O., Walter I., University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2002
Conceptual synthesis 2: knowledge management (pdf) Nutley S.M., Davies H.T.O. and Walter I., University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2004
The conduct of systematic research reviews for SCIE knowledge reviews / Coren, F and Fisher, M.-London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, Dec 2006 74pp (Research Resource1)- 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.
CPD (Continuing Professional Development) handbook.-GSRU
Defining ‘quality’ in social policy research: views, perceptions and a framework for discussion.- Social Policy Association, 2006 - presents findings from an innovative mixed methods study of over 250 social policy researchers and users of research and how they conceptualise 'quality' in social policy research and how they judge the quality of published research texts.
Delivering research-informed practice: lessons from the crime reduction and social care fields / Nutley S.M. Department for Education and Skills, 2005. (Research Report: CR2004). Keynote address to DfES Research Conference 19 November 2004
Depression and older people: towards securing well-being in later life by Mary Godfrey with Tracy Denby, Policy Press in association with Help the Aged, 2004
Designing a demonstration project: an Employment, Retention and Advancement demonstration in Great Britain (PDF) - 2nd edition.-GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2004. (Occasional Paper Series 1)-provides a detailed description of the research design for evaluating the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration project.
Developing a taxonomy of interventions used to increase the impact of research (pdf) Walter I., Nutley S.M., Davies H.T.O., University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2003. (Discussion Paper 3)
Developing educational leadership: using evidence for policy and practice, edited by Lesley Anderson and Nigel Bennett, SAGE Publications, 2003. Examines the approach of Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice (EIPP) to structuring research studies and analysing the data generated, to inform educational leadership in its key task of improving learning and teaching.
Developing projects to assess research impact (pdf) Nutley S.M., Davies H.T.O., Walter I., Wilkinson J., University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2004. Report of RURU Seminar 4, 25-26 November 2004
A difficult business: finding the evidence for social science reviews by Lesley Grayson and Alan Gommersall, ESRC UK Centre for Evidence based Policy and Practice, 2003 (Working Paper 19)
Disadvantaged by where you live? - Policy Press, 2007 - explores:
Identifies useful conceptual tools for analysing the present and future contribution of policy to neighbourhoods.
Discovering child poverty: the creation of a policy agenda from 1800 to the present . Lucinda Platt. Policy Press 2005.
The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2002-03, ONS, 6 May 2004 Contact details: Public enquiries: Local rate 0845 6013034 International: +44 2075335888 Press Office: Social 020 7533 5707
7th annual diversity report from the Legal Services Research Commission (LSRC) (PDF)
Education at a glance 2005 - OECD indicators 2005 [OECD website], OECD, 2005 - an OECD briefing note says that this points to strong performance and progress in the UK's education system over recent years, both in terms of educational investments and outcomes, for example at the pre-primary and primary level. However, they also show that in areas such as university-level education, progress has now levelled off and no longer matches that in other countries. The indicators provide data until 2003, the latest point where internationallycomparable data are available. A response and update summary from the Department for Education and Skills can be viewed on the DfES website.
The effectiveness of criminal justice and treatment programmes in reducing drug related crime: a systematic review (pdf) Home Office, 2005 (On-line report 26/05) - presents evidence from a systematic review to examine the effectiveness of criminal justice and treatment programmes in reducing drug related crime. Studies were included in the review on the basis of strict criteria including those relating to the scope of the study and its quality - level 3 or above on the Scientific Methods Scale adopted by Sherman et al (1997). The report presents two separate analyses of the results: a quantitative narrative review and a meta analysis of raw data from those studies where this information was available
Empirical research in Law - an inquiry funded by the Nuffield Foundation is underway to examine the present state of empirical research in law. A consultation document has been prepared and seminars are being held. The inquiry plans to publish its Recommendations at the end of 2004.
Employers' Pension Provision Survey 2003 , DWP, 2004 Research Report No. 207. For all DWP reports contact Paul Noakes at Paul.noakes@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Employer Perspectives on the Recruitment, Retention and Advancement of Low-pay, Low-status Employees , GCSRO, 2003 - suggests that short-term mobility in the wage distribution is limited and that individuals who do progress do not generally progress very far.
Empowering communities, improving housing: involving black and minority ethnic tenants and communities, ODPM, 2004. (Contact information: Peter-Tomas Gray, ODPM, 2/C6 Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU)
Enhancing the value of health statistics: user perspectives: a report by the Statistics Commission - Statistics Commission, 2004
ESRC research and social work and social care: how knowledge works in social care report , SCIE, 2004 (PDF) - reviews the actual and potential coverage of social work and social care research within ESRC programmes, and explores the implications for social work and social care research in the UK.
Ethical assurance for social research In government (PDF) -GSRU, HM Treasury, 2006 (GSR Professional Guidance)
Ethics in social research: the views of research participant
- GSRU, 2007
GSRU, with financial contributions from Department for Transport, HM Revenue
and Customs, Scottish Executive, Department for Communities and Local Government,
and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, commissioned the National Centre for
Social Research to undertake a qualitative study to explore research participants'
perceptions and experiences of ethical issues in social research. The findings
of that study have now been published in the attached documents, these being
the report itself and a technical report containing information about the
conduct of the study.
The ethics of survivor research: Guidelines for the ethical conduct of research carried out by mental health service users and survivors by Alison Faulkner, Policy Press in association with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2004
The Europeanisation of social protection edited by Jon Kvist and Juho Saari.-Policy Press, 2007 - through eleven country studies, "challenges the common view that social protection is exclusively a national concern with EU social policy fragmented and merely symbolic" (website)
Evaluation of Arson Control Forum's New Projects Initiative, ODPM, December 2004
Evaluation of the 2003/04 Drink Drive Campaign, Scottish Executive, Development Department Analytical Services Group, Transport and Planning, 2004 (Contact: Tom Lamplugh, Scottish Executive)
Evidence and Policy: a Journal of Research, Debate and Practice - journal from the Policy Press in association with the ESRC UK Centre for Evidence Based Policy and Practice, Queen Mary, University of London, launched in January 2005. Associates are invited to submit papers for inclusion in the journal to Ken Young (k.g.young@qmul.ac.uk) or Annette Boaz (a.l.boaz@qmul.ac.uk). Full details of the journal and notes for contributors are available on the website www.evidencenetwork.org
Evidence based policy and practice: cross sector lessons from the UK (pdf) Nutley S.M., Davies H.T.O., Walter I. Paper presented at a Seminar on ‘Evidence-based policy and practice’, organised by the Royal Society, Wellington, New Zealand, July 2002
Evidence-based policy and practice - presentation by Philip Davies to Government Office for the West Midlands, August 2004
Evidence-based practice in education, edited by Gary Thomas and Richard Pring, Open University Press, 2004 - explores the arguments of leading advocates and critics of evidence-based practice in education.
Evidence-informed policy: the role of outsiders . Centre for Evidence Based Policy and Practice, May 2005, (Working Paper 23) - looks at the factors that can help, or inhibit, outsiders in making a positive contribution. Using external experts from business, academia and elsewhere to contribute to central government policy development and delivery has a long history in the UK. The paper includes insights from some 30 confidential interviews with outsiders themselves, and others with relevant knowledge and experience.
Factors
affecting the labour market participation of older workers: qualitative
research (pdf), DWP, 2005 (Research report 281) - presents the findings
from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with a range of people
aged between 50 and 69. These were conducted to increase understanding about
older workers' decisions to leave, remain in or return to the labour market
and their attitudes to work, training, retirement planning and saving. This
is the second, qualitative, part of a research project designed to explore
the labour market experience of older people. Findings from the quantitative
stage of the project can be found in Factors
affecting the labour market participation of older workers, DWP, 2003 (Research
report 200) (pdf).
Families and children in Britain: Findings from the 2002 Families and children study (FACS) DWP, 2004.- (Research Report No. 206) For all DWP reports contact Paul Noakes at Paul.noakes@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
A Fast Stream guide for GSR Heads of Profession.-GSRU, HM Treasury, 2006 - (HR Series; 4) (PDF)
Feasibility study of road pricing in the UK DfT, 2004 - examines how a new system of charging for road use could help make better use of our road capacity. A particular focus of the research was to look at the degree of public acceptance which is critical to the feasibility of road pricing. The report looks at what we know about current attitudes and perceptions to road pricing.
Findings from Scottish School Leavers Survey, Scottish Executive, 2005 - the survey is a longitudinal research study that examines young people's experiences and transitions from compulsory education (age 16) through to the age of 23-24, covering main activity, current qualifications, domestic circumstances, the disadvantaged and future aspirations. Summaries for these publications can be found at:
From dependency work to work: addressing the multiple needs of offenders with drug problems by Tim McSweeney, Victoria Herrington, Mike Hough, Paul J. Turnbull and Jim Parsons, Policy Press, 2004 (Researching Criminal Justice series)
From knowing to doing: a framework for understanding the evidence-into-practice agenda (pdf) Nutley S.M., Walter I., Davies H.T.O., University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2002. (Discussion Paper 1)
Government Social Research Recruitment Protocol: Handbook: Part I.-GSRU, Cabinet Office, 2005 - (HR Series; 2)
Guidance for Communicating Research Evidence (pdf)- Policy makers often make the point that the key findings of social research and other types of analysis are hard to identify, or are buried in the rather dense text of research reports. The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation has developed an excellent two page guidance note on how to present and communicate research findings for policy makers and practitioners. It is called the 1:3:25 method and refers to the need to publish:
This approach has been used by government departments and agencies in Canada, Australia, the USA, the UK and other countries. Other guidance notes for communicating research results to non-research audiences is available on the CHSRF website (pdf).
Guidance for the line managers of GSR Fast Streamers - GSRU, HM Treasury, 2008 - (PDF)
A Guide to the 2001 Census: Essential Information for Gaining Business Advantage Market Research Society and National Statistics, 2004 Explains the methodologies behind the Census and explores how they can support organisations on site selection, local targeting, customer database analysis and market research.
Health Statistics Quarterly 22: Summer 2004, ONS, 27 May 2004 Contact details: Public enquiries: Local rate 0845 6013034 International: +44 2075335888 Press Office: Social 020 7533 5707
Higher Degrees of Freedom: the Value of Postgraduate Study , Institute of Employment Studies, 2004 (IES Report 410) - presents the key findings of research into the factors that influence postgraduates' choice of study at Sussex University, their study experiences and labour market outcomes. In Autumn 2003 the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) worked with the University of Sussex's Career Development and Employment Centre (CDEC) to conduct the research.
How to present the findings of research / Davies H.T.O., Hosp Med. (2001), 62(10):631-3
Immigration and homelessness in Europe by Bill Edgar, Joe Doherty and Henk Meert, Policy Press in association with FEANTSA, 2004.
The impact of government policy on social exclusion among children aged 0-13 and their families A review of the literature for the Social Exclusion Unit in the Breaking the Cycle series , Social Exclusion Unit, September 2004
The impact of government policy on social exclusion among older people A review of the literature for the Social Exclusion Unit in the Breaking the Cycle series, Social Exclusion Unit, September 2004
The impact of government policy on social exclusion among working age people: A literature review, Social Exclusion Unit, September 2004
The impact of government policy on social exclusion among young people: A review of the literature for the Social Exclusion Unit in the Breaking the Cycle series report, Social Exclusion Unit, September 2004
Improving the delivery of quality public services.-Dublin: National Economic and Social Forum ( NESF ), 2006 [i.e. 2007] (Forum Report number 34) - written in the context of Ireland 's political and administrative system, it draws upon a considerable amount of recent international policy work, as well as original research. >
Improving the use of research in Social Care / Walter I., Nutley S.M., Percy-Smith J, McNeish D, Frost S., Social Care Institute for Excellence and the Policy Press, 2004. (Knowledge Review 7)
Increasing research impact: early reflections from the ESRC EvidenceNetwork (pdf) Nutley S.M., University of London. Queen Mary, ESRC UK Centre for Evidence Based Policy and Practice, 2003. (Working Paper 16)
Increasing research impact through partnerships: evidence from outside of health care / Walter I., Nutley S.M., Davies H.T.O. Journal of Health Service Research & Policy (2003), 8(2):58-61
The institutional arrangements for connecting research and policy: the case of drug misuse / Nutley S.M., Bland N., Walter I., Public Policy and Administration, (2002), 17(3): 76-94
Interventions to reduce violence and promote the physical and psychosocial well-being of women who experience partner violence: a systematic review of controlled evaluations (pdf) / Jean Ramsay, Carol Rivas, Geder Feder.- Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2005 - this report forms part of a research initiative on synthesis and review of evidence in public health. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions relevant to health care for the reduction of violence or improvement of the physical and psychosocial well-being of women who have experienced or are experiencing partner violence. Key findings include evidence to suggest that advocacy, support groups, psychological and system-centred interventions have been beneficial. Also highlighted is the usefulness of multi-agency case conferences.
Interventions related to obesity: a state of the evidence review [HSFC website] The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), 2005 - report groups into three categories, the evidence on interventions related to obesity: Interventions that have been proven to be effective; Interventions that have some evidence of promise, but require more research to address evidence gaps; Interventions that have been proven not to be effective.
Introduction to social network analysis: an online course prepared by Gindo Tampubulon: - these materials aim to help beginners to appreciate and use social network analysis in their own work and pursue further developments on their own.
Is evidence-based government possible? - Campbell Collaboration, Jerry Lee lecture 2004 (PDF), by Philip Davies
Jobcentre Plus national customer satisfaction survey 2005 (pdf) [DWP website], Department of Work and Pensions, 2005 (Research report 282) - provides national representative data on customer experience and levels of satisfaction with Jobcentre Plus services. The research was carried out by the Policy Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University though telephone surveys.
Knowledge networks: innovation through communities of practice/ Paul Hildreth and Chris Kimble.- Idea Group Publishing, London, 2004
Labour Market Trends, ONS, 6 May 2004 Contact details: Public enquiries: Local rate 0845 6013034 International: +44 2075335888 Press Office: Social 020 7533 5707
Large Scale Social Experimentation in Britain: What Can and Cannot be Learnt from the Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration? (PDF) GCSRO, 2003 This GCSRO paper draws on experience gained in designing the ERA Demonstration to explore the strengths and limitations of social experimentation for policy evaluation and analysis, and to highlight some of the key issues that need to be considered in designing random allocation experiments.
Learning from the Experience of Recovery: Pathways to recovery. Second Annual Report, ODPM, 16 November 2004. Contact: Ann Deehan (020) 7944 4094
Level 2 Adult Vocational Learning: a qualitative study of motivations, experiences and outcomes (pdf), Department for Education and Skills, 13 July 2005. Research report which presents the findings of a qualitative study that explores the benefits of Level 2 vocational qualifications for adult learners.
Making a difference: a guide to evaluating public participation in central government.-Department for Constitutional Affairs, 2007 - an objective setting and evaluation framework , intended to help those involved in planning, organising or funding these activities to understand the different factors involved in creating effective public participation , and to set and measure attainable objectives, evaluate impact, and identify lessons for future practice.
Making it happen: developing understanding of research utilisation and EBP implementation (pdf) Davies H.T.O., Nutley S.M., Walter I., Wilkinson J., Report of RURU Seminar 1, 6 March 2002, University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2002
The Magenta Book: Guidance Notes on Policy Evaluation, GCSRO, [n.d.] Comprises a set of guidance notes on policy evaluation and analysis to help 'intelligent customers' and 'intelligent providers' determine what constitutes high quality work in the fields of policy evaluation and analysis.
Making qualitative judgements of quality - special issue of Building Research Capacity , May 2004, Issue 8, Cardiff: Cardiff University School of Social Sciences. Research Capacity Building Network - features responses by Ruth Boyask, Elizabeth Murphy and Robert Dingwall, Saville Kushner, Harry Torrance to the GCSRO publication Quality in qualitative evaluation: a framework for assessing research evidence
Management and Myths: challenging business fads, fallacies and fashions/ Adrian Furnham.- Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke, 2004
The mature-aged and skill development activities: a systematic review of research [Australia]. National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2005 - systematic review of existing research, which sets out to find evidence that skill development activities for the mature-aged lead to improved employment opportunities and productivity. It also looks at what factors act as barriers or facilitators to these key outcomes, and the implications of this review for vocational education and training policy and practice and research.
Meeting DWP's long-term information needs on disability – a feasibility report , Department for Work and Pensions, 2005, (DWP research report no. 267)) - provides advice on research design options for addressing DWP’s likely information and evidence needs in the area of disability.
Methods News - ESRC National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) newsletter, This will keep you up to date with what's happening at the NCRM and elsewhere, with opinion pieces from leaders in methodological research and information and reviews of events and resources. Available from the NCRM website www.ncrm.ac.uk or if you would like to be put on the mailing list please contact Becky Clarke at rclarke@soton.ac.uk
Micro-economic reform in Britain: delivering opportunities for all/ Eds Ed Balls, Joe Grice and Gus O'Donnell.- Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke, 2004
Models of research impact: a cross sector review: literature review protocol: summary (pdf) Nutley S.M., Walter I. University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2002
Models of research impact: a cross-sector review of literature and practice / Nutley S.M., Percy-Smith J., Solesbury W., Learning and Skills Research Centre, 2003 (Research Report)
A more equal society? New Labour, poverty, inequality and exclusion. Edited by John Hills and Kitty Stewart. Policy Press, 2005.
A new approach to low-wage workers and employers: launching the work advancement and support center demonstration.- New York: MDRC, 2006 - Manpower Development Research Corporation (MDRC)'s Work Advancement and Support Center (WASC) demonstration was created to identify effective strategies to enable low-wage workers and reemployed dislocated workers (those who, because of industry restructuring, now work in significantly lower-paying jobs than they previously did) to stabilize their employment, find better-paying jobs, and prepare for positions that require higher skills - all the while assisting employers in the process. This report describes planning and early implementation strategies undertaken between October 2004 and January 2005 at the first two sites to join the demonstration.
ONS Longitudinal Study Link to the 2001 Census - presentations from the launch at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine on Tuesday 21st September 2004
Opinion formers' perceptions of official statistics. Statistics Commission, 2005
The opportunities of a lifetime: model lifetime analysis of current British social policy by Martin Evans and Jill Eyre, Policy Press in association with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2004
Overseas travel and tourism, ONS, 7 May 2004 Contact details: Public enquiries: Local rate 0845 6013034 International: +44 2075335888 Press Office: Social 020 7533 5707
Participatory approaches to research on poverty . Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2004 Gives an overview of 'participatory' approaches to research and inquiry into poverty in the UK. 'Participatory' approaches respect the expertise of people with direct experience of poverty and give them more control over the research process and more influence over how findings are used. The researchers examine the issues involved when principle turns into practice.
Platform for progression: employer training pilots - year two evaluation report . DfES, 2005 (PDF 1.1Mb) - the Employer Training Pilots (ETPs) were established in 2002. This evaluation of the pilots aims to assess the extent of the take-up of the ETP offer and examine the key issues affecting how the pilots operate in practice, and the experiences of the participants.
The politics of evaluation: participation and policy implementation. Edited by David Taylor and Susan Balloch. Policy Press 2005.
Poor transitions: social exclusion and young adults . Colin Webster et al. Policy Press 2005.
Procurement of government social research - GSRU, HM Treasury, 2006 - (GSR Professional Guidance) (PDF)
Public Attitudes to Participation [External website] , Scottish Executive, 2005 - in conjunction with the research into civic participation in Scotland, MORI was commissioned to undertake a survey on public attitudes. It highlighted three broad trends:
Public perceptions of Scotland after devolution , [Scottish Executive website] Scottish Executive, 2005 - presents findings from a core module of questions included in the 2004 Scottish Social Attitudes survey, commissioned by the Scottish Executive's Office of Chief Researcher. The module was developed to inform policy development and evaluation, by providing robust measures of public attitudes towards key devolved policy areas. Overall, the results suggest that people in Scotland believe in devolution, but there is some confusion about how it actually works and how much difference it is making.
Publishing findings from research / Davies H.T.O. In: Richardson P. (Ed). A guide to medical publishing and writing. Quay Books, Mark Allen Publishing, 2002
Qualifications Bodies and the Disability Discrimination Act , Institute of Employment Studies, 2004, (IES Report 417) - Disabled people face major barriers in the labour market. One barrier is lack of qualifications. Disabled people are less likely than non-disabled people to have either vocational or academic qualifications. Bringing qualifications bodies within the scope of the DDA may lead to greater transparency in the policies, practices and procedures or these organisations and, in doing so, help improve disabled people's access to the labour market.
Qualitative Research - a journal, published by Sage, which 'provides a much needed forum for the discussion of research methods, in particular qualitative research, across the social sciences and cultural studies. The journal features papers with a methodological focus, discussed in relation to specific empirical studies and research problems and papers raising philosophical, theoretical, historical or ideological debates about qualitative research.'
Quality in Qualitative Evaluation: A Framework for Assessing Research Evidence - GCSRO, 2003 (PDF) - reports on the findings of a programme of work commissioned by the Government Chief Social Researcher's Office to improve the quality of qualitative evaluations. Using a methodological review of quality standards in qualitative evaluation methods, provides a framework for assessing the credibility, rigour and relevance of individual research studies.
Quality in qualitative evaluation: a framework for assessing research evidence: a quality framework (PDF), GCSRO, 2003 Presents a framework for appraising the quality of qualitative evaluations, with particular reference to evaluations concerned with the development and implementation of social policy programmes and practice.
Quick But Not Dirty: Rapid Evidence Assessments as a Decision Making Support Tool in Social Policy / Gavin Butler, Stuart Deaton, James Hodgkinson, Elizabeth Holmes and Sally Marshall. 'APSAC Advisor', Volume 17, Number 2, Spring 2005 - Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, USA article describes a new approach to harnessing robust research evidence for policy makers in a more focussed and timely way than many other secondary research methods, namely the Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA). An REA orders and filters research evidence in a similar way to a systematic review, but meets the urgent timescales of decision makers at national or local level.
This article describes the background to the first two REAs conducted and introduces the methodology. It then considers the case study examples in detail, the first focused on the development of the methodology and the second considering research utility and how REAs can be used with a policy and practitioner audience. The article concludes by discussing challenges and future implications for the REA approach
Rapid Evidence Assessment Toolkit
Reaching the poor with health services: what works, what doesn't, and why (pdf) / edited by Davidson R. Gwatkin, Adam Wagstaff, Abdo S. Yazbeck - Washington DC, World Bank, 2005 - marshals the available evidence about pro-poor strategies that have proven to be effective and that can help in the development of programmes to better assist disadvantaged groups. In doing so, it can serve as a resource for policy makers, development practitioners, and policy analysts concerned with health conditions among the poor.
Reader-Friendly Writing - 1:3:25 (pdf) Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF), 2001 - two page guidance note on how to present and communicate research findings for policy makers and practitioners. It refers to the need to publish:
This approach has been used by government departments and agencies in Canada, Australia, the USA, the UK and other countries. Other guidance notes for communicating research results to non-research audiences is available on the CHSRF website (pdf).
Reading and assessing qualitative research / Powell A.E., Davies H.T.O., Hosp Med (2001), 62(6):360-3
Researchers and discovery services: behaviour, perception and needs: a study commissioned by the Research Information Network/ Rightscom and IRN Research.-London: Research Information Network, 2006 - report of a survey in which the 395 researchers who were interviewed (across all disciplines) saw literature searching as an integral part of the research process, but only a third had received any formal training in information sources or searching skills, and that often many years previously, before online databases and internet search engines were readily available. Their use of sources was heavily dominated by a very limited number of services - Google and allied sites such as Google Scholar, Web of Science/Web of Knowledge, Science Direct and COPAC. Many respondents referred to Athens or BIDS as information sources, although these are more accurately described as interfaces with a range of sources. 55 librarians, also interviewed for the RIN, study felt that many academics were conservative in the range of tools used and were relatively unsophisticated in their search methods. Yet, despite this, they had great difficulty in engaging researchers in training. Very few academics saw lack of training as a problem, and most appeared confident in their use of resource discovery tools, despite being largely self-taught in the use of these services.
Researchers and their 'subjects': Ethics, power, knowledge and consent Edited by Marie Smyth and Emma Williamson, Policy Press, 2004 Please visit for more information
Research Methods Programme: Briefings papers.
Research impact: a cross sector review (pdf) Walter I., Nutley S.M., Davies H.T.O., University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2003
Research into multiple disadvantaged groups in European Social Fund [ESF] Objective 3 in England, DWP, 2005 (Research report 286) - looks at ESF provision within the context of support for multiple disadvantaged groups more generally and seeks to identify more precisely who the 'multiple disadvantaged' are; how ESF adds value to the levels and types of support they might normally receive; and what sort of approaches adopted by current ESF projects might constitute 'best practice' in dealing with such groups. The research was conducted in the second half of 2004 and first half of 2005. It incorporated a review of existing research, in-depth consultations with researchers in the field and over 50 case studies of (mainly) ongoing ESF projects.
Research Methods Programme (RMP) Publications regularly updated with new publications, particularly Briefings from Phase 1 projects, most of which are now coming to an end.
Research quality framework: Assessing the quality and impact of research in Australia [DEST website], Australian Department of Education, Science and Technology (DEST), 2005 - outlines possible approaches to assessing the quality and impact of original research in Australia. The features of assessment described in the paper reflect a desire, according to the government, to identify high quality and high impact research in an international context, while also recognising the research priorities for Australia in the future. This paper is part of the development of the the federal government’s new Research Quality Framework (RQF). The Expert Advisory Group for the RQF developed this paper after consultation with the higher education sector. The model is built on the responses to the RQF Issues and Advanced Approaches Papers and the outcomes of the National Stakeholder Forum held in June 2005.
Researching social policy: the use of qualitative methods by Sue Duncan and Alan Hedges. (Increasingly, authorities are being expected to develop policies and provide services that take account of the public's needs and wishes. This article looks at the social policy role of qualitative research, based mainly on group discussion techniques. This article first featured in the July/August 2002 issue of Local Government News and we are grateful to the publishers of LGN for their permission to publish on Policy Hub)
Resident Participation in Seattle's Jobs-Plus Program , MRDC, 2004 - Jobs-Plus, an MDRC national research demonstration that tests an innovative strategy for promoting employment among public housing residents, operated in Seattle's Rainier Vista housing development under unique conditions. A year after the program began, for example, the Seattle Housing Authority received a federal HOPE VI grant to tear down and rebuild Rainier Vista. Also, Rainier Vista's resident population was exceptionally diverse, including immigrants and refugees from countries as varied as Ethiopia and Cambodia. Nevertheless, Seattle's Jobs-Plus program succeeded in getting a majority of residents to use new work-related services or special policies that reduced rents for working families. Seattle's experiences illustrate how a place-based employment initiative can operate within a complex, multiethnic environment and become the vehicle for delivering the self-sufficiency component of a broader housing redevelopment initiative. MDRC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan social policy research organization, dedicated to learning what works to improve the well-being of low-income people
Research Methods Programme - New Methods Briefings, Methods Papers and Working Papers are being added on a regular basis and demonstrate the amount and quality of the work which is being carried out under the Programme
Results of the Second Flexible Working Employee Survey Heather Holt and Heidi Grainger, Employment Market Analysis and Research , 2005 (URN 05/606).
Review of evidence on the extra costs of disability DWP working paper no 21, Department for Work and Pensions, 2005, (DWP working paper no 21)) - reviews research carried out on the level of extra costs faced by disabled people.
Review of Disability Estimates and Definitions (pdf), DWP In-house report no. 128 and User Guide (pdf)
Road Safety Research Dissemination and Action Learning Programme: Scoping Study
Road Safety Strategy Division Research Programme: Summary of planned research , Department for Transport , 25 May 2005 - contains outlines of the new road safety research projects to be started in 2005-06.
A Role for Laboratory Experimentation in Evaluating Welfare-to-Work Programmes in Britain?', DWP seminar 24 September 2004. Presentations:
The 2003 Scottish Crime Survey: First Results , Scottish Executive, Criminal Justice Research, 2004 (Contact: Susan McVie, Scottish Executive)
School education statistics: user perspectives.-Statistics Commission, 2004 - (Report no. 26) - Statistics Commission, 2005
Science into policy - NERC, 2005 (pdf) Natural Environment Research Council advice to staff and scientists on taking part in the process of communicating science to policymakers.
Scottish People Results from the 2003 Scottish Household Survey , Scottish Executive, August 2004
Securing an urban renaissance Policy Press, 2007 - examines policy connections that can be traced between social, urban and crime policy and the wider processes of regeneration in British towns and cities.
Seven ages of man and woman: a look at life in Britain in the second Elizabethan era, ESRC, 2004 Uses MCS data to describe the early experiences of babies born in the UK at the beginning of the 21st century; and data from the 1958 and 1970 cohort studies to look at people in their 30's and 40's.
The significance of null in December 2004 issue of APA Monitor. F eaturing the Campbell Collaboration, it d escribes how 'a group of social scientists hunts down unpublished studies and aims to inform policy through thorough meta-analysis'.
Social Policy Review 19 Policy Press, 2007 - contents include developments and change in core UK social policy areas including education, the NHS, housing, adult social care, children's services, and social security reforms. Part two provides in-depth analyses of topical issues from both UK and international perspectives, while this year's themed section examines 'Migration and social policy'.
Sociology and policy science: just in time? Philip Davies of GCSRO is the author of this article in the September 2004 issue of British Journal of Sociology.
State of the cities: a progress report ODPM, 2006 - sets out empirical evidence on the conditions in English cities, the opportunities and challenges they face, and the policy steps needed to build on progress made in recent years.
Support Success : Services That May Help Low-Income Students Succeed in Community College, MRDC, 2004 - What can community colleges do to enhance their student services and reduce attrition rates for low-income students? Student services programs generally consist of five interrelated elements: academic counseling; instructional supports; personal guidance; career counseling; and supplemental supports like child care, transportation help, and book and supply vouchers. Some of the most promising strategies for providing services within these categories include making services as comprehensive as possible, giving each student regular access to a consistent academic counselor, and offering 'one-stop shopping,' so that students can access multiple services at the same time and place.
A systematic review of effective strategies to widen adult participation in learning, EPPI-Centre Post-Compulsory Review Group, 2005.
Talking about care: two sides to the story. Liz Forbat. Policy Press 2005.
Taking Part in a Randomised Control Trial (pdf) [DWP website]: a participant's eye-view of the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot - presents findings on the characteristics and experiences of participants in a randomised control trial, the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot.
Tracking Learning Outcomes: Evaluation of the Impact of Ufi, Institute of Employment Studies, 2004 - Ufi Ltd was established in 1998 to fulfil its vision of a 'university for industry'. The delivery network was launched in Autumn 2000, with two main products: an independent national learning information and advice service, and a network of learning centres both operated under as learndirect.
This evaluation follows a strategic initial evaluation in 2002 and tracks the progress of individuals for up to two years from their initial contact with learndirect. The findings are based on a telephone survey of just over 1,500 service users.
Trying It Out - The Role of 'Pilots' in Policy-Making, GCSRO, 2003 Reports strong endorsement of the case for piloting new policy initiatives wherever practicable. And they provide enthusiastic support for the fact that the practice is now being embraced so widely across government.
Understanding research for social policy and practice: Themes, methods and approaches . Policy Press, 2004 Aims to enable policy makers and practitioners engaged in social policy related fields, to understand the importance and place of research and how to interpret and use research findings. Also covers how to effectively carry out and report good quality research of their own.
Understanding social citizenship: Themes and perspectives for policy and practice . Policy Press, 2004 Aims to a clear sense of the history of citizenship and also of the key theoretical debates that have informed contemporary understandings of the concept. It outlines competing perspectives and considers the influence that factors such as class, gender, ethnicity and disability have on social rights and citizenship.
Understanding social security: Issues for policy and practice . Policy Press, 2004 Provides an up-to-date and comprehensive critical analysis of the impact of major changes in policy and administration, directly affecting the lives of millions of people and raising important issues of equity and social justice and their impact.
Understanding the finance of welfare: What welfare costs and how to pay for it . Policy Press, 2004 Reviews the economic case for public social services, and examines the economic and political limits to taxation; analyses the limits to markets as a way of meeting basic human needs; explores in detail the practical ways in which hospitals, schools and other social agencies are funded. In each case the UK's position is contrasted with funding arrangements in other advanced economies; devotes a chapter to the theory and practice of rationing scarce resources and to the public expenditure process.
The use and development of alternative service delivery channels in Jobcentre Plus: a review of recent evidence (pdf) [DWP website], DWP, 2005 (Research report 280) Jobcentre Plus commissioned three research projects to inform future policy and investment decisions on the use of alternative channels as a means of delivering services to its clients. To further assist in the use of the evidence, the Institute for Employment Research (IER), University of Warwick, was commissioned to draw together the three sets of evidence into a single report and to provide a synthesis of the key research findings, highlighting key messages for policy and decision-making in Jobcentre Plus.
User involvement in research , Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2005
Using evidence: how research can inform public services by Sandra Nutley, Isabel Walter and Huw Davies.-Policy Press, 2007 - provides a timely and novel contribution to the challenge of not only making research evidence accessible and available, but also getting it used. Sample chapters of Using evidence: how research can inform public services.
Using Pseudo Cohorts to Track Changes in the Qualifications of National Populations . DfES, 2005 (PDF 637 Kb) - the use of pseudo cohorts allows analysis of the extent to which the growth of qualifications held by the population is caused by skill upgrading as individuals get older, and to what extent it is caused by new, more highly educated cohorts entering the workforce to replace older, less well-qualified workers.
What is a conceptual synthesis? (pdf) Nutley S.M., Davies H.T.O., Walter I., Briefing Note 1, University of St. Andrews. Research Unit for Research Utilisation, 2002
Why labor market experiments? Armin Falk, University of Bonn - presentation given at DWP seminar ' A Role for Laboratory Experimentation in Evaluating Welfare-to-Work Programmes in Britain? ', 24 September 2004
> ACAS
> Department for Constitutional Affairs
> Department for Education and Skills
> Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
> Department for Work and Pensions
> Home Office Research Studies: 1969-2004 - Archive
> Legal Services Research Centre
> Office for National Statistics
> Being Head of Profession: responsiblities and support.-GSRU, HM Treasury, 2007 - this document sets out the formal agreement between the Chief Government Social Researcher and each Head of Profession in GSR.
> Designing
a Demonstration Project: An Employment, Retention and Advancement Demonstration
in Great Britain
2nd edition, GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2004. (Occasional Paper
Series 1) Provides a detailed description of the research design for evaluating
the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration Project.
> Employer
Perspectives on the Recruitment, Retention and Advancement of Low-Pay, Low-Status
Employees (PDF 186KB)
GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2003. (Occasional Paper Series; 2)
Reports on research carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies
into UK employers attitudes, strategies, practices towards, and perceptions
of, people they employ in respect of their ability to retain work, and the
potential for advancement within their organisation. A summary
is also available.
> Ethical assurance for social research In government - GSRU, HM Treasury, 2006 (PDF) (GSR Professional Guidance)
> Ethics in social research: the views of research participants
- GSRU, 2007
GSRU, with financial contributions from Department for Transport, HM Revenue
and Customs, Scottish Executive, Department for Communities and Local Government,
and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, commissioned the National Centre for
Social Research to undertake a qualitative study to explore research participants'
perceptions and experiences of ethical issues in social research. The findings
of that study have now been published in the attached documents, these being
the report itself and a technical report containing information about the
conduct of the study.
> A Fast Stream guide for GSR Heads of Profession.-GSRU, HM Treasury, 2006 - (HR Series; 4)
> Government Social Research Competency Framework.-GSRU, Cabinet Office, 2005
> Government Social Research Recruitment Protocol: Handbook: Part I.-GSRU, Cabinet Office, 2005 - (HR Series; 2)
> Guidance for the line managers of GSR Fast Streamers.-GSRU, HM Treasury, 2008
> A Guide to GSR Membership.-GSRU, HM Treasury, 2007 (PDF)
> Members' Magazine - copies of all editions of the monthly magazine for GSR members are published on the Government Secure Intranet (GSI). Only existing civil servants with access to GSi can view the Members' Magazine.
> Large scale social
experimentation in Britain: what can and cannot be learnt from the Employment
retention and advancement demonstration? (pdf, 300kb)
GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2003.(Occasional Paper Series; 3) The
Government Chief Social Researcher's Office (GCSRO) was asked by Her Majesty's
Treasury to take forward the design phase of the Employment Retention and
Advancement (ERA) scheme. The Institute for Employment Studies was commissioned
by the GCSRO to review the research on employers' attitudes and strategies
toward the retention and advancement of low paid and low skilled employees
employed in low status occupations. This report is part of the output of
the design phase of the ERA. It discusses the advantages and limits of the
experimental design approach used in ERA. Both authors were team members
of the ERA design team. A summary
is available.
> Procurement of government social research.-GSRU, HM Treasury, 2006 - (GSR Professional Guidance)
> Quality in Qualitative Evaluation: A Framework for Assessing Research Evidence - GCSRO, 2003 (PDF) - reports on the findings of a programme of work commissioned by the Government Chief Social Researcher's Office to improve the quality of qualitative evaluations. Using a methodological review of quality standards in qualitative evaluation methods, provides a framework for assessing the credibility, rigour and relevance of individual research studies.
> Quality in qualitative evaluation: a framework for assessing research evidence: a quality framework - GCSRO, 2003(PDF) - presents a framework for appraising the quality of qualitative evaluations, with particular reference to evaluations concerned with the development and implementation of social policy programmes and practice.
> The structure of analytical support within government.-HM Treasury.GSRU, 2007 (PDF) - this paper reviews different approaches to organising analytical support in central government departments, looking into the drivers and experiences of structural change within departments.
> Analysis for policy:evidence-based policy in practice.-HM Treasury.GSRU, 2007 (PDF) - this report presents findings from an investigation into the use of evidence-based policy in practice. It is based on interviews and discussion groups with policy makers from 10 Whitehall departments and the devolved administrations of the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government.
> Trying it out: the role of 'pilots' in policy-making: report of a review of government pilots (pdf, 271kb) GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2003. The Government Chief Social Researcher's Office carried out a review of government pilots. The review was chaired by Professor Roger Jowell, City University, and supported by a panel of senior figures from inside and outside of government. The report is intended to stimulate debate on the use of pilots in policy development, and to provide guidance on the effective use of pilots across government. It makes 27 recommendations about the role of pilots in policy making, pre-conditions and key properties, methods and practices in pilots, and the use of results. A browseable html version is available.