10259 research outputs found
Sort by
Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023: Wave 4, Special Licence Access
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Mental Health of Children and Young People Surveys (MHCYP) series provides data about the mental health of young people living in Great Britain.The MHCYP was first carried out in 1999, capturing information on 5 to 15-year-olds. It was conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on behalf of the Department of Health (now known as the Department of Health and Social Care, or DHSC), The Scottish Health Executive and the National Assembly for Wales. The following survey in the series was conducted in 2002 and focused on children looked after by their local authority. The third survey was conducted in 2004 and collected information from 5 to 16-year-olds. Follow-ups to this survey were conducted after 6 months and again after 3 years.NHS Digital commissioned the 2017 survey on behalf of the DHSC. It collected information on 2 to 19-year-olds living in England. The survey was carried out by a consortium led by NatCen Social Research, which included the ONS and Youth In Mind.The MHCYP 2020 survey was a Wave 1 follow-up to the 2017 survey and was conducted under the COVID-19 Public Health Directions 2020, as directed by the then Secretary of State for Health. The Wave 2 follow-up was conducted in 2021, and Wave 3 in 2022.Further information can be found on the NHS Digital Mental Health of Children and Young People Surveys webpage.A similar series covering adults, the Adult Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity, is also commissioned by NHS Digital. This is the fourth in a series of follow up surveys to the MHCYP 2017, exploring the mental health of children and young people in England. Before the 2017 survey, the previous surveys took place in 1999 and 2004 (in England, Scotland and Wales). The wave 4 follow up survey was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), the Office for National Statistics (ONS), University of Cambridge and University of Exeter, and was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education. It was commissioned by NHS England (formerly NHS Digital, who merged with NHS England on 1st February 2023).
The most recent face to face survey in the series took place in 2017 and involved data collection from a random sample of children and young people (aged 2 to 19 years). From February to April 2023, all 2017 participants (now aged 8 to 25 years) who agreed to be re-contacted for future research during their interview in the 2017 study, and continued to agree to be re-contacted during the previous follow up surveys (in 2020, 2021 and 2022) if they participated in all or some of these, were invited to take part in the 2023 survey.
The survey had two main aims:
Compare the likelihood of probable mental disorder in 8 to 16 year olds and 17 to 19 year olds in 2017 with that of 8 to 16 year olds and 17 to 19 year olds in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, overall and by subgroup (age, sex and ethnic group)
Describe other aspects of children and young people’s health in 2023 including on sleep problems, help-seeking and eating disorders (and compare with any comparable data available)</p
Health Survey for England, 2022: Special Licence
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Health Survey for England (HSE) is a series of surveys designed to monitor trends in the nation's health. It was commissioned by NHS Digital and carried out by the Joint Health Surveys Unit of the National Centre for Social Research and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London.The aims of the HSE series are:to provide annual data about the nation's health;to estimate the proportion of people in England with specified health conditions;to estimate the prevalence of certain risk factors associated with these conditions;to examine differences between population subgroups in their likelihood of having specific conditions or risk factors;to assess the frequency with which particular combinations of risk factors are found, and which groups these combinations most commonly occur;to monitor progress towards selected health targetssince 1995, to measure the height of children at different ages, replacing the National Study of Health and Growth;since 1995, monitor the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children.The survey includes a number of core questions every year but also focuses on different health issues at each wave. Topics are revisited at appropriate intervals in order to monitor change.Further information about the series may be found on the NHS Digital Health Survey for England; health, social care and lifestyles webpage, the NatCen Social Research NatCen Health Survey for England webpage and the University College London Health and Social Surveys Research Group UCL Health Survey for England webpage.Changes to the HSE from 2015:Users should note that from 2015 survey onwards, only the individual data file is available under standard End User Licence (EUL). The household data file is now only included in the Special Licence (SL) version, released from 2015 onwards. In addition, the SL individual file contains all the variables included in the HSE EUL dataset, plus others, including variables removed from the EUL version after the NHS England disclosure review. The SL version of the dataset contains variables with a higher disclosure risk or are more sensitive than those included in the EUL version and is subject to more restrictive access conditions (see Access information). Users are advised to obtain the EUL version to see if it meets their needs before considering an application for the SL version.COVID-19 and the HSE:Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the HSE 2020 survey was stopped in March 2020 and never re-started. There was no publication that year. The survey resumed in 2021, albeit with an amended methodology. The full HSE resumed in 2022, with an extended fieldwork period. Due to this, the decision was taken not to progress with the 2023 survey, to maximise the 2022 survey response and enable more robust reporting of data. See the NHS Digital Health Survey for England - Health, social care and lifestyles webpage for more details.The Safeguarded (also known as EUL) Access version of the HSE 2022 is available under SN 9469.Main Topics:Core topics
General healthLongstanding illnessSmokingAverage weekly alcohol consumptionDrinking (heaviest day in last week)Consent to data linkage (NHS central register, HES)Socio-economic information: sex, age, income, education, employment etcPrescribed medications (health visit)
Additional topics
Doctor diagnosed hypertension and diabetesSocial care receipt and provisionFruit and vegetable consumptionPhysical activityEating disordersLoneliness
Measurements
Height and weightBlood pressure (health visit)Waist and hip circumference (health visit)Saliva sample (health visit)Urine sample (health visit)Blood sample for cholesterol, glycated haemoglobin (health visit)Blood sample for environmental chemical exposure (human biomonitoring)</ul
Metatalk for Writing: Secondary School Students' Writing and Transcripts of Student Talk, 2022-2024
No full textThis data was captured during the Metatalk for Writing project, which focused on promoting the quality of teacher-led talk about writing in the secondary English classroom (ages 11-14). Lessons focused on making connections between reading and writing, using model texts to support students’ own writing. Lessons incorporated opportunities for talk between dyad pairs (two students working together). This dyad talk focused, for example, on idea generation for writing, sharing and reflecting on writing choices, or joint writing activities. Dyad talk was captured via digital recorders worn by each student; audio data was subsequently transcribed and, where possible, cross-referenced to writing produced by dyad students during lessons. Writing completed by other students during lessons was also gathered, scanned, and saved as anonymised pdf files. Whilst the core data collection comprised transcripts of whole lesson audio-video recordings, this data has not been archived for ethical reasons. This partial submission provides an insight into the talk of dyad pairs during lessons, including interventions by and discussion with teachers, and captures writing produced by student participants across the age groups.This ESRC funded project investigated how talk about writing, explored in the context of secondary English lessons, can support the development of metalinguistic understanding and writing. In this research, metalinguistic understanding involves both recognising how language choices shape meaning in written text, and utilising language choices to achieve rhetorical goals in writing. Our previous research suggests that developing metalinguistic understanding may require high quality classroom talk that focuses on language choices in relation to their purpose or effect (Myhill et al., 2016; Myhill & Newman, 2019; Newman & Watson, 2020). Building on this research, this study investigated how classroom talk about language choices can enhance metalinguistic thinking that has an impact on students' writing.</p
Integrated Multimedia City Data, 2015: Secure Access
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Integrated Multimedia City Data (iMCD) Project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and created a multi-strand data platform that could be used to examine complex and multidimensional urban issues. The project focuses on the Greater Glasgow region in Scotland including the City of Glasgow. The design of the iMCD was motivated by research questions in sustainable transportation, healthy cities, lifelong learning, and their interrelationships. Further motivations arose from technological and methodological questions in data access, sharing and analytics.The iMCD platform consisted of the following six strands of data: 1 - Participant survey; 2 - Internet Information Retrieval, 3 - Remote Sensing Data; 4 - Sensor Network Data; 5 - Manually Annotated Database; and 6 - Background data from related projects. The Integrated Multimedia City Data, 2015: Secure Access includes the responses from Strand 1 of the project only. This includes a household survey, a travel diary and GPS coordinates collected from participants wearing a GPS device. Main Topics:The study consists of three data files for the following surveys:Questionnaire Based Household Survey - including questions on (1) transportation preferences, (2) energy use and sustainable consumption patterns, (3) ICT use patterns, (4) attitudes and personal preferences, (5) sociodemographic, health, economic and labor market factors, (6) education, cognitive and literacy levels as measured by specific skills-related instruments, and (7) political preferences, civic participation and citizen engagement behaviors.Travel Diary Survey - including (1) Multi-day travel patterns captured through a Travel Diary, and (2) daily activities recorded by participants in an Activity Diary.Personal Sensor Survey - completed by a subset of participants consisting of (1) GPS data collection, and (2) wearable device data consisting of lifelogging image data and related sensor data capture.</div
Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence: Jordan UNICEF Cash Plus Endline, 2022-2023
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) is a ten-year (2015-2025) research programme, funded by UK Aid from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), that seeks to combine longitudinal data collection and a mixed-methods approach to understand the lives of adolescents in particularly marginalized regions of the Global South, and to uncover 'what works' to support the development of their capabilities over the course of the second decade of life, when many of these individuals will go through key transitions such as finishing their education, starting to work, getting married and starting to have children.GAGE undertakes longitudinal research in seven countries in Africa (Ethiopia, Rwanda), Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal) and the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine). Sampling adolescent girls and boys aged between 10‐19‐year olds, the quantitative survey follows a global total of 18,000 adolescent girls and boys, and their caregivers and explores the effects that programme have on their lives. This is substantiated by in‐depth qualitative and participatory research with adolescents and their peers. Its policy and legal analysis work stream studies the processes of policy change that influence the investment in and effectiveness of adolescent programming.Further information, including publications, can be found on the Overseas Development Institute GAGE website. SN 9345 - Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence: Jordan UNICEF Cash Plus Endline, 2022-2023In Jordan, GAGE initially recruited a sample of 4,095 adolescent girls and boys in two separate cohorts (younger adolescents aged 10-12 years and older adolescents age 15-17 years) during 2018 and 2019. This sample includes Syrian refugees living in refugee camps, informal tented settlements (ITS) and host communities, as well as Palestinian refugees living in refugee camps and host communities, vulnerable Jordanian adolescents living in communities hosting refugees, and a small group of adolescents of other nationalities living in Jordan.In collaboration with UNICEF, a new sample of 1,681 adolescents ages 10-18 years were recruited in 2021 as part of an evaluation of new UNICEF programming consisting of providing tablets (Treatment A) or tablets and cash (Treatment B) to existing participants in Makani, a type of youth centre. The sample includes Jordanians and Syrians at 19 Treatment A Makani centres and at 13 Treatment B centres. The Baseline UNICEF sample was followed-up in 2022-2023.
This study contains Endline individual-level and the household-level data collected in 2022-2023. The Baseline survey data is available from SN 9344.Main Topics:Youth; adolescence; gender; longitudinal impact evaluation of youth programming.</p
Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Year 1, 2023
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) is a push-to-web survey (with a paper questionnaire option) that collects data on gambling participation. The GSGB is commissioned by the Gambling Commission and carried out by the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow. Data collection for the first year of the survey was conducted in 2023.
The aims of the GSGB are to:
collect data on a wide range of up-to-date gambling behaviours, including participation and adverse consequences of gambling;provide a rolling programme of data collection to give the Commission the ability to gain timely insights and respond to emerging trends;contribute to the evidence base on gambling behaviours and impacts, and help identify gaps and priorities, and;produce and publish official statistics on gambling participation and prevalence statistics in accordance with the standards set out by the Office for Statistics Regulation in the Code of Practice for Statistics.Users should note that findings from the GSGB are not directly comparable with prior surveys used for gambling statistics, such as the Health Surveys for England and Scotland and the British Gambling Prevalence (BGPS) series that ran from 2007-2010 (held at the UKDS under SNs 5836, 6639 and 6843). This is because the new push-to-web methodology uses a different approach compared to the methodologies used in prior surveys, and GSGB development provides an opportunity to refresh and update questions.December 2025A correction to the ‘Gambled in the past 12 months’ derived
variables is currently being made. Please use these variables with caution
until the corrected data is made available early in 2026. Main Topics:Topics covered include:Lifestyle – leisure activities, internet useGambling participation in the last 12 monthsFeelings about gambling and reasons for gamblingTypologies (only included in the web questionnaire)Gambling binges in the last 12 months (only included in the web questionnaire)Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)Consequences of own gamblingGambling participation in the past 4 weeksGambling attitudesConsequences of others’ gamblingHealth and wellbeing (including smoking, drinking, suicidality)DemographicsHousehold informationConsent to future contact</ul
Local and Global Public Good of Higher Education: Canada, England, Finland and South Korea Case Studies, 2016-2024
No full textThis dataset forms part of a wider 10-nation comparative study on the local and global public good role of higher education. The dataset here comprises transcripts of 82 interviews with university staff and policymakers or policy professionals in the four case study countries that the University of Oxford research team were responsible for, namely: Canada (n=19), England (n=35), Finland (n=20), and South Korea (n=8).This project investigates the contributions of higher education to public good at both local and global levels in 10 nation states: Canada, Chile, China, England, Finland, France, Japan, Poland, South Korea, and the USA. The aims of the study were: (i) Through investigation of relevant literatures and empirical data collection, to systematically review approaches to the public outcomes (or nearest lexical equivalent) in each country in the study, with due regard for national-cultural-linguistic context; (ii) To identify similarities, differences, overlaps and gaps between the country cases; (iii) To explore the potential for generic approaches that could apply across all countries, that might constitute the basis for worldwide analytical and measurement-based work in the future, while identifying factors that shape variations between national contexts; (iv) To progress the definition, identification and measurement of global common goods in higher education and science.
The overall project dataset comprises 236 semi-structured interview transcripts with university staff (n= 196) and policymakers or policy professionals (n=40). Interviews followed a standardised semi-structured interview rubric which was adapted to suit each country context. Interview questions covered four broad themes: (1) understandings of private, public and common good(s) in general, and in higher education, in both the national and the global scales; (ii) the contributions of higher education to public good(s), and constraints on those contributions; (iii) the respective missions of and responsibilities in higher education of government and institutions, and the relations between them, including questions of autonomy; and (iv) how public and common goods can be observed and measured.</p
National Child Development Study: Sweeps 0-10, 1958-2024: Secure Access
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 9413 - National Child Development Study: Sweeps 0-10, 1958-2024: Secure Access
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.Researchers applying for access to the Secure Access NCDS datasets should indicate on their ESRC Accredited Researcher application form the EUL dataset(s) that they also wish to access (selected from the BCS70 Series Access web page).Latest edition informationFor the second edition (October 2025), the Biomeasures dataset has been updated. Two variables related to weight measurement have been moved to the safeguarded dataset.Main Topics:Family, relationships, and identity; finances and employment; health, well-being and cognition; health visit, body measurements and blood markers.
The Secure Access version of the NCSD contains 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)
Harmonised Fertility Histories in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, 1965-2024: Special Licence Access
No full textAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Harmonised Data in Five National Longitudinal Cohort Studies project, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), brings together data from five British cohort studies: the 1946 National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD), the 1958 National Child Development Survey (NCDS), the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70), Next Steps (formerly the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England), and the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). NCDS, BCS70, Next Steps, and MCS receive core funding from the ESRC and are hosted by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at UCL. NSHD is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and is hosted by the Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL.The Fertility Harmonisation project aimed to enhance data in these four British cohort studies (NSHD, NCDS, Next Steps and BCS70) through retrospective harmonisation of fertility information. This retrospective harmonisation serves two primary purposes: improving the measurement of fertility (as an outcome, predictor, or control variable) within cohort analyses, and facilitating cross-cohort research on fertility using these rich datasets.Separate longitudinal datasets were created for each cohort, covering survey sweeps from early adulthood to the early fifties, marking the end of the reproductive window for most cohort members. Derived variables provide a summary of fertility (live births) at each survey sweep, including whether the cohort member had children, the number of children, the age of the eldest and youngest child, and the number of boys and girls. The focus was exclusively on live births, excluding pregnancies that were terminated, miscarriages, or stillbirths.SN 9419 includes harmonised fertility data for the MRC National Survey of Health and Development only. Harmonised fertility data for NCDS, BCS70 and Next Steps are available under Safeguarded data access from SN 9418.Main Topics:The dataset contains fertility variables derived in the NSHD at age 19, 20, 22, 26, 31, 36, 43 and 53.The research IDs differ from the original research IDs and data can therefore not be merged with other NSHD data files. Access to the harmonised variables in connection with other NSHD variables can be requested via the usual NSHD data sharing request.</div
Organisational Readiness and Perceptions of Synthetic Data Production and Dissemination in the UK: Survey Data, 2024
No full textThis collection comprises survey data gathered in 2024 as part of a project aimed at investigating how synthetic data can support secure data access and improve research workflows, particularly from the perspective of data-owning organisations.
The survey targeted data-owning organisations across the UK, including those in government, academia and health sector. Respondents were individuals who could speak on behalf of their organisations, such as data managers, principal investigators, and information governance leads.
The motivation for this collection stemmed from the growing interest in synthetic data as a tool to enhance access to sensitive data and reduce pressure on Trusted Research Environments (TREs). The study explored organisational engagement with two types of synthetic data: synthetic data generated from real data, and “data-free” synthetic data created using metadata only.
The aims of the survey were to assess current practices, explore motivations and barriers to adoption, understand cost and governance models, and gather perspectives on scaling and outsourcing synthetic data production. Conditional logic was used to tailor the survey to organisations actively producing, planning, or not engaging with synthetic data.
This collection includes responses from 15 UK-based organisations. The survey covered eight core topics: organisational background, production practices, anticipated and realised benefits, technical and financial challenges, cost structures, data sharing models, scalability, and openness to external synthetic data generation.
The data offers exploratory insights into how UK organisations are approaching synthetic data in practice and can inform future research, infrastructure development, and policy guidance in this evolving area.
The findings have informed recommendations to support the responsible and efficient scaling of synthetic data production across sectors.The growing discourse around synthetic data underscores its potential not only in addressing data challenges in a fast-paced changing landscape but for fostering innovation and accelerating advancements in data analytics and artificial intelligence. From optimising data sharing and utility (James et al., 2021), to sustaining and promoting reproducibility (Burgard et al., 2017) to mitigating disclosure (Nikolenko, 2021) synthetic data has emerged as a solution to various complexities of the data ecosystem.
The project proposes a mixed-methods approach and seeks to explore the operational, economic, and efficiency aspects of using low-fidelity synthetic data from the perspectives of data owners and Trusted Research Environments (TREs).
The essence of the challenge is in understanding the tangible and intangible costs associated with creating and sharing low-fidelity synthetic data, alongside measuring its utility and acceptance among data producers, data oweners and TREs. The broader aim of the project is to foster a nuanced understanding that could potentially catalyse a shift towards a more efficient and publicly acceptable model of synthetic data dissemination.
This project is centred around three primary goals:
1. to evaluate the comprehensive costs incurred by data owners and TREs in the creation and ongoing maintenance of low-fidelity synthetic data, including the initial production of synthetic data and subsequent costs;
2. to assess the various models of synthetic data sharing, evaluating the implications and efficiencies for data owners and TREs, covering all aspects from pre-ingest to curation procedures, metadata sharing, and data discoverability; and
3. to measure the efficiency improvements for data owners and TREs when synthetic data is available, analysing impacts on resources, secure environment usage load, and the uptake dynamics between synthetic and real datasets by researchers.
Commencing in March 2024, the project will begin with stakeholder engagement, forming an expert panel and aligning collaborative efforts with parallel projects. Following a robust literature review, the project will embark on a methodical data collection journey through a targeted survey with data creators, case studies with d and data owners and providers of synthetic data, and a focus group with TRE representatives. The insights collected from these activities will be analysed and synthesized to draft a comprehensive report delineating the findings and sensible recommendations for scaling up the production and dissemination of low-fidelity synthetic data as applicable.
The potential applications and benefits of the proposed work are diverse. The project aims to provide a solid foundation for data owners and TREs to make informed decisions regarding synthetic data production and sharing. Furthermore, the findings could significantly influence future policy concerning data privacy thereby having a broader impact on the research community and public perception. By fostering a deeper understanding and establishing a dialogue among key stakeholders, this project strives to bridge the existing knowledge gap and push the domain of synthetic data into a new era of informed and efficient usage. Through meticulous data collection and analysis, the project aims to unravel the intricacies of low-fidelity synthetic data, aiming to pave the way for an efficient, cost-effective, and publicly acceptable framework of synthetic data production and dissemination.</p