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National Child Development Study: Metabolomics, 2019-2024: Special Licence
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Child Development Study (NCDS) is a continuing longitudinal study that seeks to follow the lives of all those living in Great Britain who were born in one particular week in 1958. The aim of the study is to improve understanding of the factors affecting human development over the whole lifespan. The NCDS has its origins in the Perinatal Mortality Survey (PMS) (the original PMS study is held at the UK Data Archive under SN 2137). This study was sponsored by the National Birthday Trust Fund and designed to examine the social and obstetric factors associated with stillbirth and death in early infancy among the 17,000 children born in England, Scotland and Wales in that one week. Selected data from the PMS form NCDS sweep 0, held alongside NCDS sweeps 1-3, under SN 5565. Survey and Biomeasures Data (GN 33004):To date there have been ten attempts to trace all members of the birth cohort in order to monitor their physical, educational and social development. The first three sweeps were carried out by the National Children's Bureau, in 1965, when respondents were aged 7, in 1969, aged 11, and in 1974, aged 16 (these sweeps form NCDS1-3, held together with NCDS0 under SN 5565). The fourth sweep, also carried out by the National Children's Bureau, was conducted in 1981, when respondents were aged 23 (held under SN 5566). In 1985 the NCDS moved to the Social Statistics Research Unit (SSRU) - now known as the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS). The fifth sweep was carried out in 1991, when respondents were aged 33 (held under SN 5567). For the sixth sweep, conducted in 1999-2000, when respondents were aged 42 (NCDS6, held under SN 5578), fieldwork was combined with the 1999-2000 wave of the 1970 Birth Cohort Study (BCS70), which was also conducted by CLS (and held under GN 33229). The seventh sweep was conducted in 2004-2005 when the respondents were aged 46 (held under SN 5579), the eighth sweep was conducted in 2008-2009 when respondents were aged 50 (held under SN 6137), the ninth sweep was conducted in 2013 when respondents were aged 55 (held under SN 7669), and the tenth sweep was conducted in 2020-24 when the respondents were aged 60-64 (held under SN 9412). A Secure Access version of the NCDS is available under SN 9413, containing detailed sensitive variables not available under Safeguarded access (currently only sweep 10 data). Variables include uncommon health conditions (including age at diagnosis), full employment codes and income/finance details, and specific life circumstances (e.g. pregnancy details, year/age of emigration from GB).Four separate datasets covering responses to NCDS over all sweeps are available. National Child Development Deaths Dataset: Special Licence Access (SN 7717) covers deaths; National Child Development Study Response and Outcomes Dataset (SN 5560) covers all other responses and outcomes; National Child Development Study: Partnership Histories (SN 6940) includes data on live-in relationships; and National Child Development Study: Activity Histories (SN 6942) covers work and non-work activities. Users are advised to order these studies alongside the other waves of NCDS.From 2002-2004, a Biomedical Survey was completed and is available under Safeguarded Licence (SN 8731) and Special Licence (SL) (SN 5594). Proteomics analyses of blood samples are available under SL SN 9254.Linked Geographical Data (GN 33497): A number of geographical variables are available, under more restrictive access conditions, which can be linked to the NCDS EUL and SL access studies. Linked Administrative Data (GN 33396):A number of linked administrative datasets are available, under more restrictive access conditions, which can be linked to the NCDS EUL and SL access studies. These include a Deaths dataset (SN 7717) available under SL and the Linked Health Administrative Datasets (SN 8697) available under Secure Access.Multi-omics Data and Risk Scores Data (GN 33592)Proteomics analyses were run on the blood samples collected from NCDS participants in 2002-2004 and are available under SL SN 9254. Metabolomics analyses were conducted on respondents of sweep 10 and are available under SL SN 9411. Polygenic indices are available under SL SN 9439. Derived summary scores have been created that combine the estimated effects of many different genes on a specific trait or characteristic, such as a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease, asthma, substance abuse, or mental health disorders, for example. These scores can be combined with existing survey data to offer a more nuanced understanding of how cohort members' outcomes may be shaped.Additional Sub-Studies (GN 33562):In addition to the main NCDS sweeps, further studies have also been conducted on a range of subjects such as parent migration, unemployment, behavioural studies and respondent essays. The full list of NCDS studies available from the UK Data Service can be found on the NCDS series access data webpage.How to access genetic and/or bio-medical sample data from a range of longitudinal surveys:For information on how to access biomedical data from NCDS that are not held at the UKDS, see the CLS Genetic data and biological samples webpage.Further information about the full NCDS series can be found on the Centre for Longitudinal Studies website.SN 9411 - National Child Development Study: Metabolomics, 2019-2024: Special LicenceThe NCDS Age 62, Sweep 10 Survey, (or 'Life in Your Early 60s' Survey as known to study members) was conducted between 2019 and 2024 when participants were aged 61-65 years. The Age 62 Survey involved an interview, a health visit, two paper self-completion questionnaires and an online dietary questionnaire.During the health visit participants were asked to provide non-fasted blood samples. A maximum of five tubes of blood were taken. In total 7,775 cohort members were asked during their interview if they would be willing to be contacted by a Health Professional and 7,167 agreed to this. Of those who agreed to be visited, 6,309 took part in the Health Visit. 5,966 were eligible to provide a blood sample and 5,149 agreed to do so (and a blood sample was received and analysed). 5,071 agreed for their blood to be stored for future analysis.Metabolomics is the study of small molecules, or metabolites, within cells, tissues, or organisms, providing a snapshot of biochemical activity and physiological status. The metabolomics analysis was conducted by Nightingale Health using the serum samples. The serum tubes were collected by health professionals in the homes of participants where they were centrifuged prior to being posted to the Bristol Bioresource Laboratory (BBL), where samples were stored in 0.5 ml aliquots at -80C. Serum samples were available for 5,082 participants. One aliquot per participant was shipped to Nightingale Health (Helsinki, Finland) from BBL. The analysis used Nightingale Health's proprietary 1H NMR Spectroscopy platform to quantify 250 biomarkers (Appendix 1 of the User Guide), providing a detailed snapshot of participants' biochemical and physiological status at the time of interview.Main Topics:Metabolomics analysis on blood samples collected at age 62.</p
The Network for Integrated Behavioural Science: The Science of Consumer Behaviour, Data Overview, 2013-2022
No full textThis network-based research initiative, a collaboration among the Universities of Nottingham, Warwick, and East Anglia along with seven international and non-academic partners, employed a decentralized approach to data collection across multiple sub-projects. The overarching goal was to investigate human decision-making processes through a combination of theoretical and empirical studies. Data were gathered primarily through controlled experiments, with each research team independently designing and conducting studies relevant to their specific focus areas within behavioral science and economics.
The topics covered range from individual and group decision-making under uncertainty to preferences, social norms, and cooperation. Because of the project’s distributed structure, data collection was not centralized; instead, datasets were curated and shared alongside individual publications. Researchers were responsible for depositing their data, code, and supplementary materials in trusted open-access repositories, ensuring transparency and reproducibility. This model allowed for methodological flexibility and the rapid development of a wide array of research outputs.
The publications and underlaying data are available via Related resources.Our research programme, drawing on economics and psychology and at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary behavioural science, was designed to advance understanding of consumer behaviour through pursuit of three sub-themes. Theme 1 studied foundations of individual choice, with particular attention to decision processes and consumers' responses to features of their environment. Theme 2 examined how firms frame and structure environments for actual and potential customers in the light of behavioural characteristics of consumers of varying sophistication. It focussed on how firms' strategies affect and are in turn affected by competition between firms. Understanding this interaction is vital to successful regulation of consumer markets. Theme 2also studied the form of appropriate regulation directly, in collaboration with UK regulatory bodies. Theme 3 applied lessons of behavioural science to personal and household financial decision making - an area of consumer behaviour that typifies the combination of choice between multiple, complex products; uncertainty; time; and potential for serious consumer detriment.</p
Content Analysis of 400 Fact-Check Articles Published by 6 Major UK and US Fact-Checking Organisations, 2024
No full textWe conduct a content analysis of fact-check articles published by six major fact-checkers from the UK and US. Our analysis builds on existing content analyses of fact-checking content and empirical studies of the epistemic practices of fact-checkers by focusing on the claim types checked, issue identified, arguments advanced, and verdicts reached by the fact-checkers in our corpus. We find that the fact-checkers in our corpus predominantly check claim types and content that can in theory be verified, but that they occasionally check claim types that cannot be factually verified. We also find a great diversity in the issues identified with claims and the arguments advanced to substantiate assessments. Some of these issues and arguments are consistent with a ‘verification model’ of fact-checking, whereas others are more consistent with distinct epistemic approaches to fact-checking that we term ‘argumentative’ and ‘interpretivist’. Decisive false verdicts are the most common verdict reached in our corpus, and they are regularly reached for some claim types that are not factually verifiable. Our study contributes to debates about the epistemology of fact-checking by producing evidence on the extent to which fact-checkers check non-verifiable claims and on the varied types of epistemic work undertaken by fact-checkers.Fact-checking, as a distinct journalistic form, has risen to prominence in the 21st century as a response to concerns about a lack of respect for the truth in political debate and the rapid spread of misinformation across
social media platforms. This project will leverage expertise and insights from the social sciences and philosophy to examine fact-checking epistemologies – that is, simply put, how fact-checkers produce, justify
and articulate their knowledge claims. In the context of political polarisation, challenges to the authority of expertise, concerns about dishonesty in political debate, and the spread of misinformation online, the
epistemologies of fact-checkers and how they are perceived by public audiences are topics of great importance. This research will generate novel and impactful knowledge about how fact-checkers produce and
justify fact-checks, how automation could change this, and how UK and US public audiences and stakeholders view different epistemic approaches to fact-checking.</p
Successful Treatment Of Paranoia Trial, 2024
No full textParanoia - defined as distressing worries about harm from others- is a common experience that can significantly impair daily life. Despite the burden it causes, many people experiencing paranoia do not access mental health services. Digital interventions offer an important opportunity to expand access to evidence-based support. The STOP (Successful Treatment of Paranoia) app is a stand-alone smartphone intervention that uses cognitive bias modification techniques to help users consider alternative interpretations of ambiguous, real-life social situations.
This study reports on data collected as part of a three-arm, double-blind, randomised controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of STOP. A total of 274 participants with self-reported paranoia were recruited across clinical and non-clinical populations and randomly assigned to a 6-week STOP intervention, a 12-week STOP intervention, or an active control condition involving text reading. Participants completed assessments at baseline, post-treatment, and 18- and 24-week follow-up. The primary outcome was paranoid ideation; secondary outcomes included other clinical symptoms, recovery, and interpretation bias as a potential mechanism of change.
The trial achieved an 85% follow-up rate for the primary outcome at 24 weeks, and 88% of participants adhered to the treatment as per protocol. Adverse event rates were similar across trial arms, and all serious adverse events were determined to be unrelated to the intervention. Findings indicated that the 12-week version of STOP led to greater reductions in paranoia symptoms compared to the active control, with more modest improvements seen in the 6-week arm.
These results support the feasibility, safety, and potential clinical utility of STOP as a scalable digital intervention for paranoia. Future iterations should focus on enhancing personalisation to increase therapeutic relevance and maximise clinical benefit.Paranoia is linked to several mental health conditions, including psychosis and leads to distress and impairment in work, family and social functioning. Recent advances in thinking suggest that treatments might be more effective if they focus on one particular symptom at a time and try to treat that rather than trying to treat the whole disorder in one go. This study proposes to develop and test a mobile app version of a new therapy for paranoia called CBM-pa. CBM-pa is a self-administered psychological therapy that has been developed by combining basic research on biases in paranoia with established techniques that can change these biases. CBM-pa is computerised and involves reading text that could be interpreted in a paranoid way (such as the stare of a stranger which could reflect harmful intentions). The therapy encourages readers to make the alternative interpretation (such as the stare reflecting harmless curiosity) by using word tasks and questions. A six-session version has been developed and a feasibility study has been completed with promising results. In year 1 of this study we will develop CBM-pa into a more accessible and engaging 12- session app for mobile phones, called STOP: Successful Treatment of Paranoia, by adding 6 newly created sessions. In years 2-4 we will give patients STOP alongside their usual treatment and compare this with a control condition where patients simply read text in the mobile app instead. The study uses a randomised controlled design and patients are recruited from two different UK sites. Participants will receive either 6 or 12 sessions of STOP and we will measure clinical symptoms immediately and at 3 and 6 months later. These treatment data will be compared with data from similar people who take part in a control condition (reading text in the app) and are assessed at the same times. The data will show us whether there are any beneficial effects of STOP and, if so, how long they last. We will also measure in more detail exactly how many sessions produce enough symptom reduction to be clinically useful.</p
Executive Function Predicts Self-Injurious Behaviour in Autistic Children With Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability, 2022-2023
No full textThe Self-Injurious Behaviour (SIB) Study was made up of a series of rigorous, inter-connected observational studies in samples of autistic children with an intellectual disability (ID) aged between 4-15 years. The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of remotely administering a novel battery of direct executive functioning (EF) measures, examining potential links between direct and informant report measures of EF. The study also aimed to explore any potential relationships between SIB and both informant report and novel direct measures of EF.
Parents and caregivers (henceforth ‘caregivers’) across the United Kingdom first completed an eligibility screening call and were invited to take part in either four or five stages of the study dependent upon their eligibility;
For all participants:
1. A questionnaire survey (Online or paper versions available)
2. The Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Interview (via video conferencing software)
3. A comprehensive risk assessment (via video conferencing software)
4. A remote games session (via video conferencing software)
5. For participants who showed weekly self-injury, a ten-day remote sleep assessment (using Motionwatch 8 and paper diary)
Caregivers worked through aspects of the remote protocol as described above. Participation within the SIB Study took between 1 and 6 months, with overall data collection running from June 2022 January 2023. Families were recruited through existing databases, social media, special educational needs schools, charities and links with 19 supporting NHS sites across the UK.
Informant report data on SIB, EF and adaptive behaviour were collected for 171 autistic children with ID and a novel, developmentally appropriate EF task battery was administered remotely to a subsample (N = 126; mean age = 9.95, range 4-15, 28 female, 84.9% showed SIB).Self-harm, such as biting, scratching, head banging and body punching, occurs at very high rates in children with autism and intellectual disability (ID). As many as 1 in 2 children with autism and ID will self-harm, and in most cases these behaviours persist beyond childhood. Unfortunately, self-harm is a primary cause of family stress, and often leads to placement breakdown resulting in children requiring specialist residential placements away from the family home.
Our existing understanding of self-harm in children with autism and ID suggests that interactions in the environment and internal sensory experiences can cause and maintain self-harm. For example, asking a child to complete a school-based task may lead to the child biting themselves; a concerned adult may then briefly remove the task to comfort and protect the child. Over time, a subtle learning process occurs which ingrains these interactions between the child and the environment around them. This learning process makes self-harm more likely, and can also make it more severe. However, whilst this model of self-harm is helpful, it does not identify underlying causes for self-harm beyond these learning processes. Additionally, interventions based on this model can typically only be started after self-harm has already become a learnt behaviour. Our work will uncover causes that drive this learning process, and lead to interventions that target causes to prevent self-harm from becoming established.
Based on our previous research, the Sleep-Impulsivity-Behaviour (SIB) Study investigates two potential causes or drivers of self-harm. First, we examine a fundamental brain-based mechanism. Our work suggests that children who self-harm have problems stopping and starting their own behaviour; this brain-based mechanism is called inhibition. However, current assessments of inhibition are often too lengthy or too difficult for children with autism and a co-occurring ID. We have developed new, specialised tests of inhibition that can be used with children with autism and ID, allowing us to test whether problems with inhibition are a fundamental cause of self-harm. These new tests are quick and easy play-based games, and we will compare performance on these games in children with autism and ID who do, and do not show self-harm.
Second, we investigate whether poor sleep makes self-harm more likely. We are particularly interested in whether specific sleep difficulties, for example problems with falling asleep, problems with staying asleep, or problems with sleeping at the wrong time in a 24-hour cycle, lead to more frequent and more severe self-harm. We will use wrist worn sleep devices to directly assess children's sleep, providing accurate information about sleep timing and sleep duration. We will use advanced statistical modelling to link children's sleep data with information about their self-harm, collected by parents/carers via a mobile phone App. Our analysis will provide conclusive information about the influence of sleep on self-harm.
To complete the SIB Study, we will bring together these two strands of work. In typically-developing children and adults, sleep is known to influence inhibition. Therefore, we think that inhibition may explain part of the relationship between poor sleep and self-harm. In our final study, we will test this idea by running a sleep intervention to improve sleep in children with autism and ID. We will measure inhibition and self-harm to see if improvements in inhibition explain some of the changes in self-harm. Together, all three of these studies will show whether poor inhibition and poor sleep cause self-harm in children with autism and ID. Findings will inform interventions for self-harm, with sleep and inhibition as new, preventative intervention targets. Through our extensive links with clinical services and policy makers, we will ensure that the findings of this project quickly and effectively influence clinical practice.</p
Creating Better Opportunities in the South West Through a Growth-Mindset-of-Opportunity Intervention, 2024-2025
No full textMany university graduates struggle to adjust to post-university life and the transition to the workforce. We developed a growth-mindset-of-opportunity intervention and evaluated whether it could help with that transition, relative to an active control condition.
Around the date of receiving their undergraduate degree, participants were randomly assigned to complete an online module. The module contained a series of reading and reflective writing exercises designed to either help students adopt a stronger growth mindset of opportunity (intervention condition) or it addressed important sources of life satisfaction (active control condition). Pre-treatment and demographic surveys collected socioeconomic status and other demographic and academic information. Follow-up surveys were conducted approximately 5 months later (Time 2) and 10 months later (Time 3). Surveys assessed their current employment status, job search strategies, qualities of their current position (for example, compensation, satisfaction) their current mindsets and beliefs related to opportunity, their long-term work plan, and contributions to economic development and innovation through their work plans.In this project, we tackle a critical but often overlooked challenge: Even with a 4-year Bachelor’s degree from an excellent institution, university graduates from low-SES backgrounds continue to face barriers to good employment and upward mobility upon entering the workforce. This trend is pronounced in the South West region where university graduates there is a dearth of upwardly mobile, high-paying postgraduate job opportunities, compared to elsewhere in the UK. By contrast, higher-SES university graduates have more financial and social resources to facilitate good opportunities and are more likely to relocate to opportunity-rich places, thus improving their professional and economic prospects.
To help address this disparity, we designed a novel intervention to foster a growth mindset of opportunity—the belief that opportunities in life are not fixed but changeable. We then evaluated its effects on helping recent graduates cultivate new and better employment opportunities in the South West, particularly low-SES graduates. Moreover, in actively cultivating good employment opportunities for themselves, we propose participants who complete the intervention (vs. control group) may contribute more to economic growth and innovation; for example, by expanding or launching local businesses, services, or industries.
Our intervention was modelled after social-psychological "wise" interventions, which leverage validated persuasion techniques, administered through carefully crafted reading and reflective exercises to encourage sustained and authentic belief change—in our case, to view opportunities as cultivatable, not fixed.
We conducted a randomized controlled field experiment by administering the randomly-assigned treatment materials (intervention or active control) to 229 final-year undergraduates in the South West, then tracking them across approximately one year, as they seek employment, and formulate and pursue long-term work plans. Across two follow-up surveys, we assessed how the intervention influences job-search strategies, mindsets, employment status and mobility, long-term work plans, and contributions to the local economy and innovation.</p
National Child Development Study: Age 62, Sweep 10, 2019-2024
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Child Development Study (NCDS) is a continuing longitudinal study that seeks to follow the lives of all those living in Great Britain who were born in one particular week in 1958. The aim of the study is to improve understanding of the factors affecting human development over the whole lifespan. The NCDS has its origins in the Perinatal Mortality Survey (PMS) (the original PMS study is held at the UK Data Archive under SN 2137). This study was sponsored by the National Birthday Trust Fund and designed to examine the social and obstetric factors associated with stillbirth and death in early infancy among the 17,000 children born in England, Scotland and Wales in that one week. Selected data from the PMS form NCDS sweep 0, held alongside NCDS sweeps 1-3, under SN 5565. Survey and Biomeasures Data (GN 33004):To date there have been ten attempts to trace all members of the birth cohort in order to monitor their physical, educational and social development. The first three sweeps were carried out by the National Children's Bureau, in 1965, when respondents were aged 7, in 1969, aged 11, and in 1974, aged 16 (these sweeps form NCDS1-3, held together with NCDS0 under SN 5565). The fourth sweep, also carried out by the National Children's Bureau, was conducted in 1981, when respondents were aged 23 (held under SN 5566). In 1985 the NCDS moved to the Social Statistics Research Unit (SSRU) - now known as the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS). The fifth sweep was carried out in 1991, when respondents were aged 33 (held under SN 5567). For the sixth sweep, conducted in 1999-2000, when respondents were aged 42 (NCDS6, held under SN 5578), fieldwork was combined with the 1999-2000 wave of the 1970 Birth Cohort Study (BCS70), which was also conducted by CLS (and held under GN 33229). The seventh sweep was conducted in 2004-2005 when the respondents were aged 46 (held under SN 5579), the eighth sweep was conducted in 2008-2009 when respondents were aged 50 (held under SN 6137), the ninth sweep was conducted in 2013 when respondents were aged 55 (held under SN 7669), and the tenth sweep was conducted in 2020-24 when the respondents were aged 60-64 (held under SN 9412). A Secure Access version of the NCDS is available under SN 9413, containing detailed sensitive variables not available under Safeguarded access (currently only sweep 10 data). Variables include uncommon health conditions (including age at diagnosis), full employment codes and income/finance details, and specific life circumstances (e.g. pregnancy details, year/age of emigration from GB).Four separate datasets covering responses to NCDS over all sweeps are available. National Child Development Deaths Dataset: Special Licence Access (SN 7717) covers deaths; National Child Development Study Response and Outcomes Dataset (SN 5560) covers all other responses and outcomes; National Child Development Study: Partnership Histories (SN 6940) includes data on live-in relationships; and National Child Development Study: Activity Histories (SN 6942) covers work and non-work activities. Users are advised to order these studies alongside the other waves of NCDS.From 2002-2004, a Biomedical Survey was completed and is available under Safeguarded Licence (SN 8731) and Special Licence (SL) (SN 5594). Proteomics analyses of blood samples are available under SL SN 9254.Linked Geographical Data (GN 33497): A number of geographical variables are available, under more restrictive access conditions, which can be linked to the NCDS EUL and SL access studies. Linked Administrative Data (GN 33396):A number of linked administrative datasets are available, under more restrictive access conditions, which can be linked to the NCDS EUL and SL access studies. These include a Deaths dataset (SN 7717) available under SL and the Linked Health Administrative Datasets (SN 8697) available under Secure Access.Multi-omics Data and Risk Scores Data (GN 33592)Proteomics analyses were run on the blood samples collected from NCDS participants in 2002-2004 and are available under SL SN 9254. Metabolomics analyses were conducted on respondents of sweep 10 and are available under SL SN 9411. Polygenic indices are available under SL SN 9439. Derived summary scores have been created that combine the estimated effects of many different genes on a specific trait or characteristic, such as a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease, asthma, substance abuse, or mental health disorders, for example. These scores can be combined with existing survey data to offer a more nuanced understanding of how cohort members' outcomes may be shaped.Additional Sub-Studies (GN 33562):In addition to the main NCDS sweeps, further studies have also been conducted on a range of subjects such as parent migration, unemployment, behavioural studies and respondent essays. The full list of NCDS studies available from the UK Data Service can be found on the NCDS series access data webpage.How to access genetic and/or bio-medical sample data from a range of longitudinal surveys:For information on how to access biomedical data from NCDS that are not held at the UKDS, see the CLS Genetic data and biological samples webpage.Further information about the full NCDS series can be found on the Centre for Longitudinal Studies website.SN 9412 - National Child Development Study: Age 62, Sweep 10, 2019-2024
The NCDS Age 62 Survey, (or 'Life in Your Early 60s' Survey as known to study members) was conducted between 2019 and 2024 when participants were aged 61-65 years. This sweep was designed and managed by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) at the UCL Social Research Institute. Interviewer fieldwork was conducted by NatCen and Verian (formerly Kantar). Health visits were conducted by NatCen and INUVI. The Age 62 Survey involved an interview, a health visit, two paper self-completion questionnaires and an online dietary questionnaire.The broad aim of the Age 62 Survey was to collect information which would aid the understanding of the lifelong factors affecting retirement and ageing. This survey also had a biomedical focus with physical measurements and assessments being conducted for the first time since the Age 44 biomedical sweep. The data collection built on the extensive data collected previously from birth and across the lifetime of study members and will facilitate comparisons with other generations as they reach the same life stage, allowing for study of social change.The study was initially planned and designed to be conducted in-person. Fieldwork commenced in January 2020 but was subsequently paused in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As in-person interviewing was not feasible until early 2022, the protocol was adapted so that interviews could be conducted by video-call. Interviewer fieldwork restarted by video call in spring 2021 until April 2022 when it was feasible to return to in-person interviewing. The video mode option continued to be available if requested by a cohort member or was required due to interviewer capacity issues in a particular area.Once mainstage fieldwork was complete, those who had not participated were invited to complete a short version of the questionnaire via web (known as the ‘mop-up’ survey). Cohort members who completed the survey between January-March 2020, were also invited to take part in the mop-up survey in order establish how their circumstances might have changed since the pandemic. Emigrants were not invited to take part in the main survey but were invited to take part in this short web-survey.A full account of the survey development and fieldwork procedures can be found in the National Child Development Study technical report and appendices produced by NatCen Social Research, which accompanies this data.Latest edition informationFor the second edition (October 2025), the Biomeasures dataset has been updated. Variables related to weight, waist and hip measurements have been added and some of the grip strength variables have been updated.Main Topics:Family, relationships, and identity; finances and employment; health, well-being and cognition; health visit, body measurements and blood markers
Mapping English-Language AI Research Controversies on Twitter, 2022
No full textThis submission consists of 12 data sets containing Twitter IDs pertaining to 6 AI controversies identified by UK-based experts in AI and Society as especially significant during the period 2012-2021.
The data sets were collected by researchers at the University of Warwick as part of the 3-year international project “Shaping AI” which mapped controversies about “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) during 2012-2022. Research teams in the UK, France, Germany and Canada analysed controversies about AI in their countries across different spheres: research, policy and the media during this 10-year period.
The UK team at the University of Warwick designed and undertook an analysis of research controversies about AI in the relevant period following a standpoint methodology. Our study began with an online consultation that took place in the Autumn of 2021, in which we asked UK-based experts in AI from across disciplines to identify what are the most important concerns, disputes and problematics that have arisen in the last 10 years in relation to AI as a strategic area of research.
Based on the responses to this expert consultation—described in detail in Marres et al (2024) and Poletti et al (forthcoming)—we identified a broad range of relevant controversy topics, objects and problems. To select controversies for further analysis, we considered their research intensity, in the form of a frequency count of research publications mentioned by respondents in relation to controversy topics.
On this basis, we selected 6 AI research controversies for further research: COMPAS; NHS+Deepmind; Gaydar; Facial recognition; Stochastic Parrots (LLMs) & Deeplearning as a solution for AI. For each of these controversies, we collected Twitter data by submitting queries to Twitter's academic API using TWARC between January 2022 and June 2022. Further details of the methods of data collection and curation can be found in the methods file with further detail of the queries in the ReadMe file.The 3-year international project “Shaping AI” investigates the development of “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) as a socio-technical phenomenon: AI is not only a noteworthy innovation that is currently being introduced into science and society. It also entails a distinctive approach to solving problems through automation and potentially new ways of making sense of the world and organising the polity.
AI has become the subject of heated debate in recent years, from scientific discussions sparked by the release of new language models to public outrage following the firing of experts by big tech companies and societal concerns about the use of face recognition technologies by the police, and in schools. In this social research project, we map and analyse controversies about AI across different spheres: research, policy and the media. Our objective is to identify what are the most important, possibly overlooked, concerns, disputes and problematics that have arisen in the last 10 years in relation to AI as a strategic area of research, public policy and societal change.
This submission consists of 12 data sets containing Twitter IDs pertaining to 6 AI controversies identified by UK-based experts in AI and Society as especially significant during the period 2012-2021.
The 6 controversies were selected based on responses submitted to the Shaping AI online expert consultation that took place in Autumn 2021: COMPAS, Facial recognition, "Gaydar," NHS+Deepmind, LLMs ("Stochastic Parrots") and Deep learning as a solution for AI.
The Twitter data were collected by submitting queries - which consisted of terms and URLs of research publications with high relevance to the 6 AI controversies - to Twitter's academic API using TWARC between January 2022 and June 2022. Further details of the method can be found in the methods file with further detail of the queries in the ReadMe.</p
DIY Biology: A Global Survey on Democratizing Science, 2021
No full textThis survey explores the evolving landscape of DIY biology, a grassroots movement that aims to democratize science. It builds on the first major quantitative study by Grushkin et al. (2013) and aims to: (1) assess how the movement has developed over the past decade, (2) examine its relationship with traditional scientific institutions, and (3) provide updated data for DIY biologists and policymakers.
Conducted between March and November 2021, the survey included 28 questions across four key areas: demographics, professional affiliations, DIY biology activities, and perspectives on openness and safety. Some items mirrored Grushkin et al.’s (2013) survey for comparison, while others focused on DIY biology’s engagement with industry and academia. The questionnaire combined multiple-choice, short text responses, and time-allocation questions, ensuring a comprehensive dataset.
The survey was distributed via social media, mailing lists, and community networks, garnering 154 responses. Of these, 124 participants completed the entire survey, while 30 answered at least two questions. The global DIY biology community is estimated to include thousands of individuals, but this study does not claim to represent the full diversity of the movement. Instead, it offers valuable insights into trends, challenges, and the professionalization of DIY biology.
To encourage participation, respondents could enter a raffle for research vouchers. The median completion time was 20 minutes. Participants provided detailed free-text responses, which added depth to the findings. Preliminary results were shared with the community at the Global Community Summit 2021, reflecting the study’s commitment to open knowledge-sharing.
This dataset serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, and DIY biologists seeking to understand the movement’s trajectory and its intersections with mainstream science.This research project explores the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) biology movement, where biologists and enthusiasts set up laboratories in non-traditional spaces such as kitchens, garages, and community labs. DIY biologists engage in scientific experiments outside institutional settings, working with gene-editing technologies like CRISPR, engineering microorganisms, and developing bio-based projects. By studying this movement, the research aims to understand how extra-institutional science emerges, operates, and interacts with established scientific and regulatory frameworks. Specifically, it examines how DIY biologists create and sustain research spaces and how governments and institutions perceive and regulate these activities.
This document presents data from the 2021 DIY Biology Community Survey, designed to capture insights into the evolving DIY biology landscape. The survey provides updated perspectives on the movement’s professionalization, relationship with traditional scientific institutions, and engagement with industry. Conducted between March and November 2021, the survey included 28 questions covering demographics, participants’ experiences in academia and industry, their DIY biology activities, and their views on openness and safety in the field. A total of 154 individuals participated, with 124 completing the entire survey. The findings offer valuable perspectives on the state of the DIY biology community, highlighting its diversity, challenges, and evolving role in the broader scientific ecosystem.</p
Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 2024
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey (NILT) series began in 1998, and was the successor to the previous Northern Ireland Social Attitudes series, which was discontinued in 1996.The main aims of the NILT series are:
to monitor public attitudes towards social policy and political issues in Northern Ireland;
to provide a time series on attitudes to key social policy areas;
to facilitate academic social policy analysis;
to provide a freely available resource on public attitudes for the wider community of users in Northern Ireland.
NILT originally had a companion series which also began in 1998, the Young Life and Times Survey (YLT), although the YLT methodology changed in 2003 and it is conducted separately each year. The Kids' Life and Times (KLT) survey of P7 children (10-11 year olds) is also part of the same suite of surveys as YLT and NILT.NILT also forms part of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), although it does not do so every year. Unfortunately, NILT did not run in 2011 due to funding issues, though YLT ran as normal that year; NILT resumed in 2012 (SN 7408). In addition, several open access teaching datasets were created by ARK (Access Research Knowledge) from various years of NILT, covering different topics such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues, politics and community relations, attitudes to ageing and ageism, and dementia.
Further information about the series may be found on the ARK NILT webpage.NILT 2024
From 1998 to 2000, NILT surveys were undertaken as a face-to-face interview, followed by a short self-completion questionnaire. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey has since been undertaken online. Respondents could also request to complete the survey via a phone interview if they desired.Main Topics:Public attitudes to range of social policy issues:Adult safeguardingClimate changeCommunity/good relationsCriminal justice systemEducation, training and skillsGender-based violenceIncome and povertyMinority ethnic groupsPolitical attitudesRespectCommunity safety and perception of paramilitary influenceBackground demographic and socio-economic characteristics.</ul