13/08/2009 - Social Trends: Notification of plans to move to a web only publication
Main message
The belief that 'Life begins at 40' looks to be true for Social Trends, a flagship publication for the Office for National Statistics. Social Trends celebrates its 40th year in 2010 and to mark the anniversary is changing by publishing some chapters online earlier than usual. The intention is then to phase out the print publication to evolve into a fully fledged web only publication.
On 3 June 2009 it was agreed that a phased publishing review project would start. The project proposes publishing four1 of the 13 chapters in Social Trends directly on the ONS website in December 2009, followed by a further two2 chapters in February 2010. The aim of developing an electronic-only Social Trends is to:
provide more timely releases of statistics and commentary on changes in UK society;
provide up-to-date statistics;
allow more frequent updates of statistics and commentary.
The remaining seven3 chapters, together with the initial six chapters, will then be published on the ONS website in April 2010 supported by a printed publication, forming the 40th edition of Social Trends. The theme for this edition of Social Trends is 'Forty years of social trends in the UK'.
Following publication of Social Trends 40, ONS intends to develop and launch web only editions of Social Trends in the future.
Background
Social Trends provides an up-to-date and comprehensive description of society, drawing on statistics from a wide range of government departments and other organisations to show how society is changing, as well as some of the factors which may be driving these trends.
Social Trends is aimed at a wide audience: policy makers in the public and private sectors, service providers, people in local government, journalists and other commentators, academics and students, schools, and the general public.
Social Trends is currently available as a printed publication as well as being available electronically on the National Statistics website, www.statistics.gov.uk/socialtrends. Full reports for each edition from Social Trends 30 are available as interactive PDF files where excel spreadsheets containing the data used in the publication can be accessed and downloaded by clicking on the relevant chart or table.
User feedback
If users have views on the proposed change to how Social Trends is published, then please contact the Social Trends branch at the contact points below.
Contact points:
Social Trends
Household Labour Market & Social Well-Being Division
ONS Newport
Government Buildings
Cardiff Road
Newport
Gwent
NP10 8XG
Chapters to be published in December 2009 are: Population, Households and Families, Labour Market and Housing.
Chapters to be published in February 2010 are: Transport and Lifestyles and Social Participation.
Chapters to be published in April 2010 are Education and Training; Income and wealth, Expenditure, Health, Social Protection,Crime and justice and Environment.
