Major survey series

A selection of major surveys of interest to social science.  They are well documented and most of them are available for secondary analysis and/or teaching.

ESDS Government (UK)

Large-scale government surveys are key data resources for social science researchers.  The acquisition, processing and delivery of the large-scale government datasets under this service is undertaken by the UKDA. Data is available via the web-based download system and the ESDS Nesstar system for online browsing and visualisation of the data.  Examples include:

The General Lifestyle Survey (GLF), formerly known as the General Household Survey (GHS), is a multi-purpose continuous survey carried out by the ONS collecting information on a range of topics from people living in private households in Great Britain. This information is used by government departments and other organisations for planning, policy and monitoring purposes and to present a picture of households, family and people in Great Britain.

The UK Family Expenditure Survey (FES) is a continuous survey of household expenditure and income which has been in existence since 1957. Annual samples of around 10,000 households (about 1 in 2000 of all United Kingdom households) are selected each year.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a quarterly sample survey of households living at private addresses in Great Britain. Its purpose is to provide information on the UK labour market that can then be used to develop, manage, evaluate and report on labour market policies. It is conducted by the Office for National Statistics.

The British Crime Survey (BCS) is one of the largest social surveys conducted in Britain. It is currently carried out by the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB).

A full list of surveys is on UK government surveys

National Readership Survey

The primary purpose of the NRS is to provide reliable readership estimates for national newspapers and major consumer magazines. Currently over 250 titles are surveyed.  To capture the trends in readership, NRS interviews a large sample of 36,000 adults (aged 15+) each year on a continuous basis.   Interviews are conducted face-to-face in the homes of respondents.  Becuase of the sample size, this survey is used to benchmark samples for other surveys. 
  • A large sample: 36,000 interviews with adults aged 15+ per year
  • The interview is conducted in the respondent's home
  • The average interview takes 27 minutes
  • A random sample: only the specific individuals sampled are interviewed

English House Condition Survey (EHCS)

The EHCS provides information on the condition and energy efficiency of housing in England.  Their pages provide information about the EHCS and how it operated before 2008. They also provide access to reports and data from the survey and contact details for the EHCS team.

The Survey of English Housing (SEH) was a continuous household survey that collected information from nearly 20,000 households each year about the characteristics of their housing and their attitudes to housing and related issues. It operated continuously from 1993-94 and the final fieldwork year for the SEH was 2007-08.

In April 2008 the SEH merged with the English House Condition Survey (EHCS) to form the new English Housing Survey (EHS).

  • English Housing Survey (EHS)
  • Survey of English Housing (SEH)
  • English House Condition Survey (EHCS)

  • British Social Attitudes

    The British Social Attitudes survey is the leading social research survey in Britain. Since 1983, the annual surveys conducted by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) have continually monitored and interpreted the British public's changing attitudes towards social, economic, political and moral issues. Its findings are reported and interpreted in a series of annual reports.

    This web-site was developed by the Centre for Comparative European Survey Data (CCESD) to provide non-specialist users with on-line access and analysis of a cumulative database of over 20,000 survey questions asked in British Social Attitudes surveys over the last 25 years.

    European Social Survey

    The European Social Survey (the ESS) is an academically-driven social survey designed to chart and explain the interaction between Europe's changing institutions and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its diverse populations. Now preparing for its fifth round, the survey covers more than 30 nations and employs the most rigorous methodologies. A repeat cross-sectional survey, it has been funded through the European Commission’s Framework Programmes, the European Science Foundation and national funding bodies in each country.

    European Commission - Public Opinion

    This is the website for the Public Opinion Analysis sector of the European Commission. Since 1973, the European Commission has been monitoring the evolution of public opinion in the Member States, thus helping the preparation of texts, decision-making and the evaluation of its work. Our surveys and studies address major topics concerning European citizenship: enlargement, social situation, health, culture, information technology, environment, the Euro, defence, etc.

    The site gives access to the Eurobarometer surveys.  The Standard Eurobarometer was established in 1973. Each survey consists of approximately 1000 face-to-face interviews per Member State (except Germany: 2000, Luxembourg: 500, United Kingdom 1300 including 300 in Northern Ireland). Reports are published twice yearly. Reproduction is authorized, except for commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged. Eurobarometer Special Survey reports are based on in-depth thematical studies carried out for various services of the European Commission or other EU Institutions and integrated in Standard Eurobarometer's polling waves. Reproduction is authorized, except for commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged. Flash Eurobarometers are ad hoc thematical telephone interviews conducted at the request of any service of the European Commission. Flash surveys enable the Commission to obtain results relatively quickly and to focus on specific target groups, as and when required. Reproduction is authorized, except for commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged.

    The Eurobarometer Interactive Search System is a tool which  runs a search of the Trends questions database. It is possible to look for data on specific countries or a group of countries. In addition to comparing the results of several countries for a specific question, it allows analysis of country trends . The data can be displayed as a graph, a pie chart, in an excel table or in columns. Survey results can also be displayed on a map of the EU. The colour coding facilitates quick and easy comparisons between countries.

    European Values Study

    The European Values Study is a large-scale, cross-national, and longitudinal survey research program on basic human values. It provides insights into the ideas, beliefs, preferences, attitudes, values and opinions of citizens all over Europe. It is a unique research project on how Europeans think about life, family, work, religion, politics and society. The European Values Study started in 1981, when a thousand citizens in the European Member States of that time were interviewed using standardized questionnaires. Every nine years, the survey is repeated in an increasing number of countries.

    Centre for Longitudinal Studies

    The Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) is an ESRC Resource Centre, based at the Institute of Education, University of London. CLS houses three of Britain's internationally-renowned birth cohort studies:

    CLS provides support and facilities for those using data from the three studies, as well as conducting research using the cohort data, with a special interest in family life and parenting, family economics, youth life course transitions and basic skills.