Jonathan Burton

📢 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙮 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄!

The latest issue (Vol. 19, No. 2) of 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴 is here – featuring new research on survey design, data quality, sampling, nonresponse, & more.

See the issue:
🔗 ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/srm/issue/vi...

#SurveyResearch #SurveyMethods #ESRA

Reviewing our questions on ethnicity and immigration - Understanding Society We are undertaking a review of the questions included in Understanding Society on the topics of ethnicity and immigration.

We're reviewing our questions on ethnicity and immigration. If you'd like to give us feedback on the questions we ask and the variables you use for your research there's information on how to take part in the review on our website: www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/news/2025/06...

Very happy to anounce that our latest piece has been published in SM&R ✨️
Spoiler: Only ~1/3 of respondents make a thorough consequentialist decision when asked for consent!

Young adults in coastal areas face ‘double whammy of poor mental health’

CASE STUDY from @usociety.bsky.social

Research shows lower self-rated mental health and a higher likelihood of undiagnosed conditions.

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/impact/young...

@herring1967.bsky.social

Tideland.

Data from @usociety.bsky.social helps genetic analysis of rare neurodevelopmental conditions.

BLOG from @hilarycmartin.bsky.social‬

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/blog/2025/07...

Common DNA differences and rare brain conditions - Understanding Society Understanding Society data helps analysis of neurodevelopmental conditions Genomic sequencing has revolutionised our ability to diagnose rare neurodevelopmental conditions

Our latest blog: @hilarycmartin.bsky.social on how data from Understanding Society and others played a part in @sangerinstitute.bsky.social research into rare neurodevelopmental conditions

Great #ESRA25 - so much fun to see so many familiar faces, hear all this inspiring research, and cycle the bike paths of beautiful Utrecht!

Some information cannot (reliably) be collected in annual surveys of panel members. Text messages (SMS) are well-suited to gathering time-sensitive responses, if a large and representative subset of a panel consents to being surveyed in this way. We investigate: (1) What proportion of respondents consent to text message questions? How does that vary by sample cohort, mode, and whether previously asked for consent? (2) What is the effect of consent question placement within the questionnaire? (3) Is bias of the covered sample reduced by re-asking non-consenters at a later wave? (4) What coverage of non-internet users is gained by seeking consent for text message questioning? We use data from experiments within two waves (IP13 and IP15) of the Innovation Panel of Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study. For comparisons of subsets, the proportions consenting are reported along with test statistics for group differences. For the mixed-mode experiment, we report both as-treated and intention-to-treat values, as well as instrumental variable analysis to estimate the effect of mode distinct from selection effects. Bias is analysed via differences between proportions in categories in the overall sample and the covered sub-sample. Most respondents consented to questions by text message when first asked (69% in IP13, 74% in IP15). Of those who declined consent at IP13, 55% consented when re-asked two years later. Face-to-face respondents were more likely to consent than web respondents. Slightly more (2.4 percentage points, s.e.1.5 percentage points) respondents consented when experimentally asked late in the questionnaire than early. Re-asking consent not only reduced the proportion of people who had not provided consent, it also reduced non-consent bias, measured across a range of socio-demographic characteristics. Some panel members who never use the internet use mobile phones and consent to receive questions via text message, so this may complement web …

Getting consent to survey in new ways: evidence from experiments about questions by text message in the @usociety.bsky.social Innovation Panel

Jim Vine, @annettejackle.bsky.social, @jonburton.bsky.social, Mick P. Couper

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/pub...

Linkages between surveys and administrative data provide an important opportunity for social and health research, but such linkages often require the informed consent of respondents. We use experimental data collection across five different samples to study how consent decisions are made. More reflective decision processes are associated with higher rates of consent, greater comprehension of the proposed data linkage, and greater confidence in the decision, but only about a third of respondents report using a reflective decision process. This suggests that the provision of additional information is unlikely to lead to significant improvements in informed consent.

How Do Survey Respondents Decide Whether to Consent to Data Linkage?

@jonburton.bsky.social, Mick P. Couper, Thomas F. Crossley, @annettejackle.bsky.social & @sawalzenbach.bsky.social

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Understanding Society Annual Report 2024 - Understanding Society The latest Annual Report gives a summary of key data on the Study, alongside a selection of the research and impact from the year.

Our 2024 Annual Report is now available. It was another busy year for UKHLS...

✅4143 researchers registered to use a dataset
✅3669 downloads for the main survey
✅4581 publications have now used UKHLS data
✅624 people took a training course with us

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/news/2025/06...

Social surveys can be enriched with the collection of objective health measures, allowing new types of research in both health and social sciences. We experimentally tested three alternative designs for collecting survey responses and biomeasures within a longitudinal survey. In the nurse-administered design, a nurse conducts the survey and collects biomeasures in person. In the interviewer-first design, an interviewer initially attempts to carry out the survey in person, collects a subset of biomeasures, and then leaves a further biomeasure sample collection kit with the respondent. The web-first design invites respondents to complete the survey in web mode, and a biomeasure sample collection kit is sent after they do so. Nonrespondents to their initial mode are followed up with in an alternate mode. The outcomes of interest are both (i) response to the survey, and (ii) take-up and completion of the biomeasure sample collection. The impact of the experimental design is tested on both outcomes, utilizing intention-to-treat analysis (that is, by allocated design). To account for the importance of channel of communication in the consent decision for biomeasures, we also analyze observed consent outcomes by realized mode of response, other survey factors, and respondent characteristics. Findings show that the web-first design is superior in obtaining survey response, with nonsignificant differences between in-person interviewer-administered and nurse-administered designs. Conversely, the web was the least effective design for obtaining biomeasures. These findings imply that there is a design trade-off between obtaining survey responses and biomeasures, and this should be considered in future studies.

How Different Mixed-Mode Data Collection Approaches Impact Response Rates and Provision of Biomeasure Samples - paper using @usociety.bsky.social, by Tarek Al Baghal, @jonburton.bsky.social, Thomas F Crossley, Michaela Benzeval, & Meena Kumari.

doi.org/10.1093/poq/...

Survey weights: an explainer. BLOG from @usociety.bsky.social

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/blog/2025/06...

What survey weights do is balance the influence of survey answers from members of different subgroups in analyses of the data so they reflect the population distribution of subgroups...

(2) associated selection biases, and (3) reasons for not installing the app. To examine selection rates, we report population estimates of the percentages who reach various stages.

We use data from the Understanding Society COVID study, which asked about uptake of the UK COVID contact tracing apps, to investigate (1) selection rates across stages of using the app, including smartphone ownership, smartphone compatibility with the app, app installation, and app use,

Digital trace data — including from smartphone apps — are increasingly considered for research use, either as adjuncts to survey data or on their own. Understanding selection of smartphone app usage is therefore important in considering the potential of the data they generate for research purposes.

Selectivity of digital trace data: the case of the UK COVID-19 contact tracing apps - working paper at @usociety.bsky.social by Jim Vine, @jonburton.bsky.social Mick P. Couper, @annettejackle.bsky.social & Daniel Horn

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/pub...

afternoon tea why i love it and you should love it too

This is great - would recommend subbing:
steviemartin.substack.com/p/afternoon-...

What? You mean you can't hike up tax to the maximum on December, then reduce it to 0% in January so get huge tax income and a happy population?

Case Study from @usociety.bsky.social

UK underperforms in employment for ill and disabled

New case study says employment gap is the highest of 15 countries studied.

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/impact/emplo...

This interview took a turn.

Reviewing our questions on ethnicity and immigration.

Let us know your views on this important part of the @usociety.bsky.social survey.

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/news/2025/06...

Case Study from @usociety.bsky.social

Automatic pension enrolment – little effect on savings

Policy evaluation case study shows Nest pension does not encourage other savings

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/impact/autom...

Upcoming training events for @usociety.bsky.social

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/events/

Introduction to Understanding Society
Jun 9th - 10th

Using UKHLS child and youth data
Jun 11th

Geographical data linkage
Jun 12th

Introduction to linear panel data methods
Jun 19th

New BLOG from @usociety.bsky.social - The minimum wage and career progress, by Silvia Avram

If the minimum wage goes up, do people’s chances of moving to a better-paid job go down?

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/blog/2025/05...

New editions of linked geographical data for @usociety.bsky.social
Waves 1-14 Census 2021 data are now available, as are Acorn Wellbeing data.

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/news/2025/05...

These include Scottish Data Zones and Intermediate Zones, so all four countries of the UK are now covered.

With @gmari.bsky.social, assistant professor in the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Sara Ogilvie, Director of Policy, Rights and Advocacy at the @cpaguk.bsky.social

New podcast from @usociety.bsky.social - Families and benefit cuts: What are the effects on stress, for parents and teenagers?

In this episode, host Chris Coates asks how families are affected by benefit cuts and fluctuating incomes.

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/podcasts/fam...

larger y-axis on the graphs?

It suggests that the introduction of Universal Credit was linked to an additional 63,000 unemployed people experiencing clinically significant levels of psychological distress.