The NatCen Blog

Here we’ll be talking about our research in the context of the latest news, opinion and
analysis through comments from our team of experts. We’d love to hear from you, so post comments or get in touch with us.

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• Posted on 03 October 2016 by Sally McManus, NatCen Associate

  Measuring inequalities in mental health

  

  Sally McManus examines the inequalities in the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, published last week.

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  Tags: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, inequality, mental health, research methodology

• Posted on 01 September 2016 by Kirby Swales, Director of Survey Research Centre

  Polling and the EU referendum: the post-match analysis

  

  The prevailing estimates from the EU Referendum polls were for a Remain victory, especially based on the last polls taken. This post-match analysis of EU referendum polling reflects on why, given that Leave won the vote, the polls didn't produce a stronger showing for Leave. 

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  Tags: EU Referendum, panel, polling, polls, research methodology

• Posted on 21 June 2016 by Kirby Swales, Director of Survey Research Centre

  New NatCen Research Panel publishes first results

  

  Today we have published results from a survey of the British public’s voting intention in the EU Referendum, based on the country’s first ever probability-based research panel.

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  Tags: quantitative, referendum, polling, polls, research methodology

• Posted on 16 December 2011

  Reading the Riots: what about those who didn't riot?

  I woke up last Monday (5th Dec) to the Today programme newspaper reviews, feeling a touch churlish. The reason? The Guardian was launching Reading the Riots, its groundbreaking research collaboration with the LSE, supported by Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Open Society Foundations. The team put on a brilliant conference on Wednesday. Here are a few reflections on methodology and impact from the day.    

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  Tags: London riots, research methodology

• Posted on 17 November 2011

  Understanding the influence of social media

  We’re all increasingly familiar with the part that Twitter, Facebook and other new social media are playing in our lives. But do we really understand whether they are influencing individual behaviour and attitudes or broader social processes or a separate social space?

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  Tags: European Online Grooming Project, London riots, research methodology, social media

• Posted on 21 October 2011 by Gerry Nicolaas, Director

  Challenges to current practice of tackling survey non-response

  

  NatCen colleagues recently attended the annual International Workshop on Household Survey Non-response hosted this year by the Basque Statistics Office. Gerry Nicolaas, our head of Data Collection Methodology, shares with us three broad themes she took away from the workshop that directly challenge current practices of dealing with survey non-response.

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  Tags: International Workshop on Household Survey Non-response, data collection, research methodology, survey non-response