News

We provide access to a wide range of social science data for reuse. To help you get the most from these resources, we run a free introductory training series every spring and autumn to introduce different aspects of the UK Data Service. Our training series workshops in spring 2026 are listed below and you can […]

The UK Data Service is pleased to have become an official partner with PEDRI (the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative), which has been funded by the ESRC to unite different UK organisations working with data and statistics to improve how they all work with the public. The focus of this work will include: Promoting […]

UK Data Service is delighted to be a Silver Sponsor of the 2026 International Digital Curation (IDCC) Conference, held in Zagreb from 16–18 February. The IDCC conference is a unique event that brings together individuals, organisations and institutions involved in curating data. This year’s event will be the 20th edition of the conference. The conference […]

Sharon Bolton, in her own words: After many years at the UK Data Archive and a long association with CESSDA, I am retiring with a strong sense of gratitude and pride in what has been achieved over three decades of work in data curation and international collaboration. The early days I joined the UK Data […]

Every year, Love Data Week invites us to celebrate the role of data in our lives and the people who work tirelessly to make it accessible. This year’s Love Data Week, which takes place from 9-13 February, will feature a vast number of events hosted by universities, non-profit organisations, government agencies, businesses and individuals across […]

Early Career Researchers from all over the UK will be attending the Perspectives on Engagement and Impact event on 11 February, 2026, which has been designed to help researchers learn from peers and stakeholders how their work can be used to drive impact. The free event will be packed full of engaging activities, including an […]

The latest wave of data from Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study is now available from the UK Data Service. Wave 15 gives a rich overview of life in the UK, including new content on families and the environment. You can access the full release via our data catalogue. What is Understanding Society? Understanding Society […]

Have you used data from the UK Data Service in your undergraduate dissertation? If so, consider submitting your dissertation to the 2026 UK Data Service Dissertation Award. The deadline for submissions is 12.00 (lunchtime) on Wednesday 1 July 2026. Showcase your research As well as a £300 prize, winners will get the opportunity to write about […]

An update of our latest data releases New datasets released SN 9507 Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Year 2, 2024 SN 9506 Adult Oral Health Survey, 2023 SN 9498 Women Who Have Survived Domestic Abuse and Their Accommodation Experiences in England, January – June, 2023 SN 9504 Scottish Health Survey, 2023: Special Licence Access SN […]

We are pleased to announce that abstract submissions are now open for the Health Studies User Conference 2026. This free, one-day event is hosted by the UK Data Service in partnership with UCL and the National Centre for Social Research and will take place on 25 June 2026 at UCL in London and online. The […]

The UK Data Service has released the latest version of ‘Metadata and Data Services Activities-Functions (MaDSAF)’. Created by Hervé L’Hours, Darren Bell and Oliver Parkes, the working paper identifies 30 common activities and functions that are undertaken across data repositories spanning organisation infrastructure, digital object management, technology, and security. It was created following a review […]

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has launched a public consultation where you can tell them how you use census data and your requirements for topic data from Census 2031.   The census informs decisions about public services and helps them to understand the economy, public health and inequality. What do you need from a census in an age […]