esds resources for bcs users vanessa higgins centre for census and survey research university of...
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ESDS Resources for BCS Users
Vanessa Higgins Centre for Census and Survey Research
University of Manchester
ESDS Government
• Funded by ESRC, part of larger ESDS, started 2003
• Supports major UK data series– Large surveys conducted, usually by government– Eg:Labour Force Survey; General Household
Survey; British Crime Survey – Repeated cross-sections, often continuous– Important, widely used microdata
• Joint service– Team at UK Data Archive ingest and archive data– Team at Manchester deal with users– Registration for the data managed by ESDS
centrally
Role
• Too much stuff? – Navigating users through the right materials– Creating additional materials to help users
discover datasets and supporting materials
• Promoting the use of the data• Encouraging good practice• Bridging the gap between data collector
and users
Survey pages
External resources and links at dataset level
•National Statistics BCS page •British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) BCS page •Home Office (HO) BCS pages •Crime in England 2005/6 online report (HO web site) •Crime Statistics for England and Wales •Social Trends •Question Bank•Scottish Crime Survey
Guiding new users through...
What do our users use the data for?
2 online searchable databases:• Current Usage: Registration
information records the research use to which data is put. We share registration information on our web site if the user permits
• Publications: Users are requested to inform ESDS of publications, but we also harvest information from the ISI WOK bibliographic database
Teaching datasets
• Cut-down data for teaching• 2000 data – core sample• Excludes boosts• Includes weights for individual
and household analysis • 55 variables • User guide
Statistical/analysis guides
• SPSS
• STATA
• Weighting the social surveys
• Analysis over time
• Linking and hierarchy (forthcoming)
Themed Guides
• Employment and labour market
• Health
• Social capital
• Ethnicity
• Consumption (forthcoming)
• Data Sources in Scotland
• Data Sources in Northern Ireland
Help-desk
• 250+ Queries in the last year• Range of different ranges of complexity:
– How do I get access to the BCS?– Which weight should I use?– What level of geography can I get?– Why does my analysis show high levels of
missing data?– The documentation says variable X is in the data
but I can’t find it
• Help desk involves collaboration with UKDA, HO, ONS, NatCen etc
Outreach events
Introductory workshops Joint workshops with other ESDS servicesMethodsResearch conferencesDataset user groupsOther presentationsPosters
Keeping in touch
• Website contains news & information about consultations/data developments
• JISCmail esds-govsurveys list• Newsletter
– Biannual (June and Dec)– Available on website or hard copy– Contains
• Survey news from ONS etc• New ESDS resources• Summaries of meetings/hot topics• Focus on researchers
The important last slide…Helpdesk:
[email protected](0161)275 1980
Website:http://www.esds.ac.uk/government
Jisc list:[email protected]@jiscmail.ac.uk
Consultation
• Improving our services• Raising awareness and improving outreach
Consultation
• Heard of ESDS?• Heard of UKDA?• Who do we contact to get information to
you/others?• Do you think our plans will work ?
– Themed leaflets in conference packs? Which conferences?
– Themed posters to academic departments? – Workshops for new postgraduates?– Learning and teaching networks?– Any good tips for us?
• Any other resources you’d find useful?