Journeys in Survey Research

  • Home page
  • Blog
  • Dedication
  • My personal pantheon (of the great and the good in survey research)
    • Mark Abrams >
      • Abrams publications
      • An interview with Mark Abrams (transcripts)
      • An interview with Mark Abrams (audio files)
      • Mark Abrams Prize
    • Angus Campbell >
      • SRU garden reception for Angus Campbell
    • Cathie Marsh
    • Tony Coxon
    • Roger Jowell
    • James A Davis
    • Norman Nie
  • Acknowledgements
    • Unsung heroes in support services
  • About the author
    • John F Hall: Career profile
    • John F Hall: Extra-curricular professional and political activities
  • About this site
    • What people have said about this site
    • Latest additions and modifications
    • How to use this site
  • Recent and planned activities
  • Textbooks
    • Textbooks for SPSS >
      • Highly recommended SPSS textbooks >
        • McInnes (2017) >
          • MacInnes, Chapter 4:​ Getting Started with SPSS
          • MacInnes, Chapter 5 Dealing with Data Documentation
          • MacInness 2017 (Web links)
        • Marsh and Elliott (2008)
        • Sweet and Grace-Martin 2010
        • Babbie, Halley, Wagner and Zaino 2013
        • Julie Pallant, SPSS Survival Manual
        • Andy Field
        • Boslaugh 2005
        • McCormick & Salcedo (2015)
        • McCormick & Salcedo (2017)
      • SPSS textbooks worth a look >
        • Hy (1977)
      • On-line SPSS textbooks
      • Textbooks requested or awaiting review
    • Textbooks: Statistics for Social Research >
      • de Vries 2018
      • Bergin (2018)
    • Textbooks: Survey Methods >
      • Crouch & Housden (2003)
      • Andres (2012)
      • Blair, Czala and Blair (2014)
      • de Vaus (2014)
      • Hoinville, Jowell et al (1977)
      • Marsden & Wright [Eds] (2010) >
        • Contributors to Handbook of Survey Research
      • Marsh (1982)
      • Moser & Kalton (1971)
      • Oppenheim (1992)
      • Pallant 2016
    • Textbooks: Data curation and sharing >
      • Corti et el (2014)
  • 1: Survey Analysis Workshop (SPSS)
    • What is SPSS?
    • SPSS Without Tears >
      • My first time: in at the SPSS deep end (1972)
    • Introduction to Survey Analysis Workshop (SPSS) >
      • IBM® SPSS® Statistics (Overview)
      • Note on SPSS tutorials on this site
      • Background to current project >
        • Author's note
      • SPSS versions used
      • Stata and SPSS
    • Summary guide to SPSS tutorials >
      • Block 1: From questionnaire to SPSS saved file
      • Block 2: Analysing one variable >
        • 2.1: Nominal and ordinal variables
        • 2.2: Interval scale variables
        • 2.3: Data transformations
      • Block 3: Analysing two variables (and sometimes three) >
        • 3.1 Two variables (CROSSTABS)
        • 3.2 Three (or more) variables
        • 3.3 Multiple response (MULT RESPONSE)
        • 3.4 Conditional data transformations (IF and DO IF)
        • 3.5 Derived variables (COUNT and COMPUTE) >
          • 3.5.1 Introduction to COUNT and COMPUTE
          • 3.5.2 Teenage Attitudes (Tutorials)
      • Block 4: Hypothesis testing
      • SPSS files and documentation used for tutorials and exercises >
        • Data sets used in Survey Analysis Workshop >
          • British Social Attitudes
          • Pre-course questionnaire on interests and experience
          • Quality of Life in Britain
    • Useful links for SPSS >
      • On-line SPSS Intros and tutorials
      • SPSS courses
  • 1a: Statistical concepts and methods
  • 1b: Teaching with Survey Data
    • SN 28: Relative Deprivation and Social Justice 1962-63
  • 1c: Developing research projects using survey data
  • 1d: Workshop and presentations for ASSESS (SPSS users in Europe)
    • Old Dog, Old Tricks: Using SPSS syntax to beat the mouse-trap
    • The Beginners' Guide to Survey Analysis Using SPSS
    • Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind: working with alien SPSS files
    • ASSESS 2014 Links to Contents
  • 2: Survey Research Practice
    • SR 502: Survey Research Practice (1976 - 1992)
    • Courses in Survey Methods >
      • (United Kingdom) Degrees, diplomas and certificates
      • (USA & Canada) Degrees, diplomas and certificates in survey research
      • Summer schools for survey methods
      • Short courses for survey research
    • Opinion polls >
      • Election poll débâcles
    • Web-based resources for survey research >
      • Survey Resources Network
      • On-line surveys
      • Question Banks
      • Survey methods guides and tutorials
      • Clips, tips and blogs
    • Useful links for Survey Research
  • 2a: Survey Research Methodology, Practice and Training
    • The place of survey research in the social sciences
    • Survey Research and Social Action
    • Academic centres specialising in survey research >
      • United Kingdom
      • USA and Canada
      • Europe
    • Professional and Voluntary Associations
    • Survey research organisations
    • Journals for survey research
    • Articles on survey research
  • 2b: Major survey series
    • United Kingdom (Major survey series: academic and other) >
      • British Social Attitudes >
        • British Social Attitudes: ​Exploring the SPSS files >
          • British Social Attitudes 1983 onwards: Cumulative SPSS file
          • British Social Attitudes: Making files from different years compatible
    • United Kingdom (Major survey series: government) >
      • ONS National Well-being >
        • ONS files
    • Europe (Major survey series)
    • USA (Major survey series)
  • 3: Subjective Social Indicators (Quality of Life)
    • Quality of Life: Measurement and methodology
    • Measures of psychological well-being
    • Values and Quality of Life
    • SSRC Survey Unit Quality of Life in Britain surveys 1971-1975 >
      • Abstracts, data and documentation
      • Publications based on the SSRC Quality of Life in Britain surveys >
        • Bibliography for Quality of Life in Britain and related surveys
        • Quality of Life of the Elderly in Residential Care
      • Surveys in schools >
        • "Trinians" survey
        • Playground to Politics
  • 4: Survey Unit, Social Science Research Council (UK)
    • Surveys by SSRC Survey Unit
    • Publications: SSRC Survey Unit
    • Courses, Conferences and Seminars
  • 5: Survey Research Unit, Polytechnic of North London
    • Survey Research Unit >
      • Training courses in survey methods
      • The place of SRU within PNL
    • Director's Working Group on the Survey Research Unit
  • Village life in Normandy
    • Notre Dame de Cenilly >
      • War and Peace in N D de Cenilly >
        • Armistice Day
        • German Occupation (1940 - 1944)
        • D-Day (6th June 1944) >
          • D-Day ceremony 9 June 2013
          • D-Day 70th Anniversary 2014
          • Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 8 June 2011)
          • Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 8 June 2014)
          • Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 7 June 2015)
          • Lancaster bomber crew ​(Memorial ceremony 5 June 2016)
        • Liberation July 1944 >
          • Field hospital in N D de Cenilly
          • Liberation celebrations (July 2006)
          • Visit of US 2nd Armored Division veterans (2 Sep 2009)
          • Liberation celebrations 2014
          • Unveiling of new monument (13 June 2015)
          • Re-enactment camp (Gavray, 11 July 2015)
      • Fête St Clair 2007
      • Fête St Clair 2010
      • Fête St Clair 2012 National pedal-car championships
      • La Noslière de Bas
    • Midsummer music
    • Paris trip (post Brexit)
  • Contact

Surveys by SSRC Survey Unit

[Page last updated 9 May 2018]

​Future in Britain Survey, 1970

SN 60 Future in Britain Survey, 1970 

​​This survey  was done by Research Services Ltd (RSL) for the SSRC Next 30 Years Committee.  It was a national survey to ascertain public perceptions of, and attitudes towards, likely futures and compared future expectations of a small "élite" sample (senior businessmen, politicians, social scientists etc) with those of a general population (quota) sample.  

It was the first survey I worked on at the Survey Unit.  Alan Marsh and I were presented with a huge pile of (Donovan Data Systems) printout from which we had to summarise the findings.  A private report (reputed to be available from the Social Science Research Council, but not confirmed) to the SSRC Committee on Next Thirty Years was prepared by Research Services Ltd.  One of the key findings in the general sample was "technological optimism" against "social pessimism", but these views were not shared by the élite.  

The SPSS saved file from UKDS is incomplete and difficult to reconcile with the documentation.  To assist users in exploring the survey I have produced two new SPSS setup files:
 
future1970.sps has a complete set of variable and value labels, and specifies missing values and measurement levels keeping variables in codebook order.
future1970qaire.sps re-arranges the variables in questionnaire order.  

There is also a detailed commentary Notes on Future in Britain 1970  
​

Postgraduate Students' Assessment of Their Social Science Training

SN 1273 Postgraduate Students' Assessment of Their Social Science Training, 1971 

The purpose of this study was to investigate postgraduate students' evaluations of the provision made for their studies in their universities.  It was a postal survey of all postgraduate students in the social sciences who had been awarded a grant from the SSRC.

Marsh, A.,
`Postgraduate students' assessment of their social science training'. 
Occasional papers in survey research, no.2 (London: SSRC Survey Unit, 1972)

Quality of Life in Urban Britain

Series of surveys, conducted in collaboration with ISR, Ann Arbor, to develop subjective indicators of quality of life (QoL) covering self-reported well-being and satisfaction/dissatisfaction with life as a whole and with various life domains and sub-domains. 

SN 247 Quality of Life: Pilot 1, March 1971 (temporary loss of UKDS/ESDS link)
SN 248 Quality of Life; Pilot 2, October/November 1971
 ​
SN 249 Quality of Life: Urban Britain, 1973; UK 
   replicated simultaneously in two local surveys:
   SN 250 Quality of Life; Stoke,-on-Trent 1973/74 
   SN 251 Quality of Life; Sunderland, 1973/74
 ​
SN 915 Quality of Life; Urban Britain 1975

For full details of these surveys (universe, rationale, variables, questionnaires, show-cards) see page
SSRC Survey Unit Quality of Life in Britain surveys 1971 - 1975

For links to a wide range of methodological issues, survey instruments and other QoL surveys see page Subjective Social Indicators 
​

​Organisation of Social Science Research in the United Kingdom, 1972​

SN 1271 Organisation of Social Science Research in the UK 1972; Research service organisations
​
SN 1272 Organisation of Social Science Research in the UK, 1972; Academic Departments  ​ 

Postal surveys of all academic social science departments and centres and a separate survey of all organisations supplying services.

Crawford, Elisabeth T and Perry, Norman [Eds]
 Demands for social knowledge: The role of research organisations (Sage, 1976)
​

Computing in the Social Sciences

SN 1274 Computer Survey, 1970-1971 

​The Survey Unit was an ex-officio member of the SSRC Computer Panel.  It conducted a postal survey of all social science depts and centres in UK universities and higher education colleges to ascertain whether ot not they used computers in their work and, if so,  what for. 

Utting J E G and Hall J F 
The Use of Computers in  University Social Science Departments 
(Occasional Paper No 3, SSRC Survey Unit, 1973)

The Survey Unit also published the first UK register of software for survey analysis.

Hall J F 
Computer Software for Survey Analysis. 
Special Supplement  to SSRC Newsletter 20, October 1973


Hall J F 
Computer  Software  for Survey  Analysis.  
Update  sheet, special supplement in SSRC Newsletter 24, October 1974


Rowe B C, Hall J F and Scheer
Computer  Software  for Survey  Analysis.  
Supplement  to SSRC Newsletter 29, 1975

(See also: Beverley Rowe and Marianne Scheer,
Computer Software for Social Science Data SSRC, 1976
(for Study Group on Computers in Survey Analysis)


Postgraduate Students' Assessment of Their Social Science Training, 1971 ​
​(UKDS SN 1273)

The purpose of this study was to investigate postgraduate students' evaluations of the provision made for their studies in their universities.

Marsh, A., `Postgraduate students' assessment of their social science training'. 
Occasional papers in survey research, no.2 (London: SSRC Survey Unit, 1972)
​

Longitudinal survey of DES and SSRC award holders

This survey was jointly funded by the then Dept for Education and Science (DES) and the then Social Science Research Council (SSRC).  It identified 9,000 DES and ESRC postgraduate award-holders and followed them each year from 1970 to 1975.  One finding was that future earnings were determined more by obtaining a First than a PhD.  The data were deposited with the Survey Archive in 1976, but there is now apparently no trace of the survey nor any record.

Protest, Dissatisfaction and Change, 1973-1974 

SN 672 Protest, Dissatisfaction and Change, 1973-1974 

This was part of an 8-nation study (See Political Action: an Eight Nation Study, 1973-1976 ICPSR​) for which national sample surveys were conducted via personal interview during 1973-1976 in Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, United States, Italy, Switzerland, and Finland.  

Marsh, A., 
Explorations in unorthodox political behaviour: a scale to measure `Protest Potential', 
European Journal of Political Research, 2, June 1974
​

 Opinions and Attitudes of Senior Girls, 1973 ​ 
​(UKDS SN 951)

Self-completion "quickie" survey (1973) to measure attitudes and opinions of girls in senior forms at a girls' public school.  See also "Trinians" as we jokingly referred to it.

​Mark Abrams and John Hall
Attitudes of Girls in Senior Forms 
[pdf]
Internal SSRC SU paper reporting on selected findings (Feb 1973)


Sarah Abrams
Survey  

(Article in Folio, magazine of St Paul's Schools, Vol 20,1,1973: pdf, 5pp)
​

 Voting Behaviour in Britain : an Attitudinal Analysis; General Election October 1974
(UKDS SN 916)  

The purpose of this study was to investigate postgraduate students' evaluations of the provision made for their studies in their universities.

Fishbein, M., Thomas, K. and Jaccard, J.J., 
Voting behaviour in Britain: an attitudinal analysis,
Occasional papers in Survey Research No. 7, SSRC Survey Unit



​

​SPSS Error Reporting

Joint project with University of London Computer Centre (ULCC).  Over a period of one month in 1975, questionnaires were attached to all failed SPSS output asking users to asses what errors were made and whether SPSS accurately described these.
  

Marsh C and Utting J
​ article in ULCC newsletter (?1975?)​


SSRC Survey Unit Multi-Purpose Survey, 1975  ​(UKDS SN 680)

This was the very first multi-purpose social research survey in the UK (on which my then research trainee, the late Cathie Marsh, cut her survey and SPSS teeth).  It used a genuine probability sample of the general population, and was open to social scientists to purchase questionnaire space.  Their substantive data were then supplied together with detailed standard demographics.  This first (and only) wave investigated various aspects of job satisfaction (by Cathie Marsh)  and included questions added by other researchers on betting, membership of and level of activity in, various social groups and other aspects of life.  

Cathie is named as depositor of the data (from SPS Cambridge)

​The only publication I can find is:

Marsh C 1975
Job Satisfaction: the Search Goes On
Paper to UK/USA SSRC Conference on Subjective Measures of Quality of Life,  Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
SSRC Survey Unit, September, 1975
​

See also: Commentary on Multi-purpose survey 1975 






Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home page
  • Blog
  • Dedication
  • My personal pantheon (of the great and the good in survey research)
    • Mark Abrams >
      • Abrams publications
      • An interview with Mark Abrams (transcripts)
      • An interview with Mark Abrams (audio files)
      • Mark Abrams Prize
    • Angus Campbell >
      • SRU garden reception for Angus Campbell
    • Cathie Marsh
    • Tony Coxon
    • Roger Jowell
    • James A Davis
    • Norman Nie
  • Acknowledgements
    • Unsung heroes in support services
  • About the author
    • John F Hall: Career profile
    • John F Hall: Extra-curricular professional and political activities
  • About this site
    • What people have said about this site
    • Latest additions and modifications
    • How to use this site
  • Recent and planned activities
  • Textbooks
    • Textbooks for SPSS >
      • Highly recommended SPSS textbooks >
        • McInnes (2017) >
          • MacInnes, Chapter 4:​ Getting Started with SPSS
          • MacInnes, Chapter 5 Dealing with Data Documentation
          • MacInness 2017 (Web links)
        • Marsh and Elliott (2008)
        • Sweet and Grace-Martin 2010
        • Babbie, Halley, Wagner and Zaino 2013
        • Julie Pallant, SPSS Survival Manual
        • Andy Field
        • Boslaugh 2005
        • McCormick & Salcedo (2015)
        • McCormick & Salcedo (2017)
      • SPSS textbooks worth a look >
        • Hy (1977)
      • On-line SPSS textbooks
      • Textbooks requested or awaiting review
    • Textbooks: Statistics for Social Research >
      • de Vries 2018
      • Bergin (2018)
    • Textbooks: Survey Methods >
      • Crouch & Housden (2003)
      • Andres (2012)
      • Blair, Czala and Blair (2014)
      • de Vaus (2014)
      • Hoinville, Jowell et al (1977)
      • Marsden & Wright [Eds] (2010) >
        • Contributors to Handbook of Survey Research
      • Marsh (1982)
      • Moser & Kalton (1971)
      • Oppenheim (1992)
      • Pallant 2016
    • Textbooks: Data curation and sharing >
      • Corti et el (2014)
  • 1: Survey Analysis Workshop (SPSS)
    • What is SPSS?
    • SPSS Without Tears >
      • My first time: in at the SPSS deep end (1972)
    • Introduction to Survey Analysis Workshop (SPSS) >
      • IBM® SPSS® Statistics (Overview)
      • Note on SPSS tutorials on this site
      • Background to current project >
        • Author's note
      • SPSS versions used
      • Stata and SPSS
    • Summary guide to SPSS tutorials >
      • Block 1: From questionnaire to SPSS saved file
      • Block 2: Analysing one variable >
        • 2.1: Nominal and ordinal variables
        • 2.2: Interval scale variables
        • 2.3: Data transformations
      • Block 3: Analysing two variables (and sometimes three) >
        • 3.1 Two variables (CROSSTABS)
        • 3.2 Three (or more) variables
        • 3.3 Multiple response (MULT RESPONSE)
        • 3.4 Conditional data transformations (IF and DO IF)
        • 3.5 Derived variables (COUNT and COMPUTE) >
          • 3.5.1 Introduction to COUNT and COMPUTE
          • 3.5.2 Teenage Attitudes (Tutorials)
      • Block 4: Hypothesis testing
      • SPSS files and documentation used for tutorials and exercises >
        • Data sets used in Survey Analysis Workshop >
          • British Social Attitudes
          • Pre-course questionnaire on interests and experience
          • Quality of Life in Britain
    • Useful links for SPSS >
      • On-line SPSS Intros and tutorials
      • SPSS courses
  • 1a: Statistical concepts and methods
  • 1b: Teaching with Survey Data
    • SN 28: Relative Deprivation and Social Justice 1962-63
  • 1c: Developing research projects using survey data
  • 1d: Workshop and presentations for ASSESS (SPSS users in Europe)
    • Old Dog, Old Tricks: Using SPSS syntax to beat the mouse-trap
    • The Beginners' Guide to Survey Analysis Using SPSS
    • Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind: working with alien SPSS files
    • ASSESS 2014 Links to Contents
  • 2: Survey Research Practice
    • SR 502: Survey Research Practice (1976 - 1992)
    • Courses in Survey Methods >
      • (United Kingdom) Degrees, diplomas and certificates
      • (USA & Canada) Degrees, diplomas and certificates in survey research
      • Summer schools for survey methods
      • Short courses for survey research
    • Opinion polls >
      • Election poll débâcles
    • Web-based resources for survey research >
      • Survey Resources Network
      • On-line surveys
      • Question Banks
      • Survey methods guides and tutorials
      • Clips, tips and blogs
    • Useful links for Survey Research
  • 2a: Survey Research Methodology, Practice and Training
    • The place of survey research in the social sciences
    • Survey Research and Social Action
    • Academic centres specialising in survey research >
      • United Kingdom
      • USA and Canada
      • Europe
    • Professional and Voluntary Associations
    • Survey research organisations
    • Journals for survey research
    • Articles on survey research
  • 2b: Major survey series
    • United Kingdom (Major survey series: academic and other) >
      • British Social Attitudes >
        • British Social Attitudes: ​Exploring the SPSS files >
          • British Social Attitudes 1983 onwards: Cumulative SPSS file
          • British Social Attitudes: Making files from different years compatible
    • United Kingdom (Major survey series: government) >
      • ONS National Well-being >
        • ONS files
    • Europe (Major survey series)
    • USA (Major survey series)
  • 3: Subjective Social Indicators (Quality of Life)
    • Quality of Life: Measurement and methodology
    • Measures of psychological well-being
    • Values and Quality of Life
    • SSRC Survey Unit Quality of Life in Britain surveys 1971-1975 >
      • Abstracts, data and documentation
      • Publications based on the SSRC Quality of Life in Britain surveys >
        • Bibliography for Quality of Life in Britain and related surveys
        • Quality of Life of the Elderly in Residential Care
      • Surveys in schools >
        • "Trinians" survey
        • Playground to Politics
  • 4: Survey Unit, Social Science Research Council (UK)
    • Surveys by SSRC Survey Unit
    • Publications: SSRC Survey Unit
    • Courses, Conferences and Seminars
  • 5: Survey Research Unit, Polytechnic of North London
    • Survey Research Unit >
      • Training courses in survey methods
      • The place of SRU within PNL
    • Director's Working Group on the Survey Research Unit
  • Village life in Normandy
    • Notre Dame de Cenilly >
      • War and Peace in N D de Cenilly >
        • Armistice Day
        • German Occupation (1940 - 1944)
        • D-Day (6th June 1944) >
          • D-Day ceremony 9 June 2013
          • D-Day 70th Anniversary 2014
          • Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 8 June 2011)
          • Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 8 June 2014)
          • Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 7 June 2015)
          • Lancaster bomber crew ​(Memorial ceremony 5 June 2016)
        • Liberation July 1944 >
          • Field hospital in N D de Cenilly
          • Liberation celebrations (July 2006)
          • Visit of US 2nd Armored Division veterans (2 Sep 2009)
          • Liberation celebrations 2014
          • Unveiling of new monument (13 June 2015)
          • Re-enactment camp (Gavray, 11 July 2015)
      • Fête St Clair 2007
      • Fête St Clair 2010
      • Fête St Clair 2012 National pedal-car championships
      • La Noslière de Bas
    • Midsummer music
    • Paris trip (post Brexit)
  • Contact