National Centre for Social Research, an independent non-profit research institute, carries out a series of annual surveys charting continuity and change in British social, economic, political and moral values in relation to other changes in society.
Each year up to 3,600 respondents are asked about their attitudes and opinions on a wide range of issues, some of which are covered every year, others less often. For example, questions can cover such topics as newspaper readership, political parties and trust, public spending, welfare benefits, health care, childcare, poverty, the labour market and the workplace, education, charitable giving, the countryside, transport and the environment, Europe, economic prospects, race, religion, civil liberties, immigration, sentencing and prisons, fear of crime and the portrayal of sex and violence in the media.
Sponsor:
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation (one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts), government departments, quasi-governmental bodies and other grant-giving organisations.
Contractor:
N/A
Size of data collection:
Up to 3,500 respondents per annum
Linked surveys/sources:
Northern Ireland Social Attitudes Survey, Young People's Social Attitudes Survey
Method:
Household/Person (Sample) Survey
Status:
Ongoing
Frequency of collection or compilation:
Annual
Reference period:
Fieldwork takes place in spring or early summer each year
Timeliness:
18 months (data publicly released on publication of Annual Report).
Year data first available:
March-April 1983
Year of latest available data:
Spring 1997
History of data collection / breaks and discontinuities:
The surveys began in 1983.
Between 1984 and 1986, the ESRC funded the introduction of a panel element so that changes in the attitudes of individuals could be tracked.
Between 1989 and 1996 the National Centre for Social Research collaborated with the Policy Planning and Research Unit (PPRU) of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and the Queen's University, Belfast, on the linked Northern Ireland Social Attitudes Survey, and some of the findings from this survey have been included in BSA reports.
In 1994 and 1998 young people (aged 12-19) living in adult respondents' households were also interviewed (Young People's Social Attitudes Survey).
Since 1985, the questionnaires have contained questions asked in up to 25 countries, as part of the National Centre's participation in the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP).
Apply to BSA team at the National Centre for Social Research for further details of discontinuities.
Main areas for which data is collected:
National: England Scotland Wales
SubNational or Other: South of the Caledonian Canal
Extent of geographical coverage:
Sampled
Spatial units of data collection:
Postcode sector
Smallest spatial unit for which data are made available:
Postcode sector
Commonly available units for which aggregate data are made available:
See Technical Reports on the BSA surveys, published by SCPR
Standard geographical classification or coding systems used:
See Technical reports on the BSA surveys, published by SCPR.
Descriptive summary of geographical coverage and geographic referencing system:
Great Britain
Legislative status:
N/A
Deposited with data archive?
Yes
Bibliographic material:
Annual Reports containing around 10 chapters on various subjects by BSA team members and invited authors and questionnaires containing marginal distributions of responses published by Ashgate Publishing and available from Bookpoint Ltd. Annual Technical Reports published by SCPR.
