Cens-able - Improving and empowering census data research opportunities in Scotland
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Geosciences
Abstract
Aims and Objectives
We aim to improve and empower three census-linked products for the 2022 Scottish census. The three products we will work on are:
Improving the Equalities Protected Characteristics data
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) to census linkage (ASHE-census)
A high-fidelity synthetic data set for ASHE-census
These census-linked products will be some of the first be created and accessed by researchers under the new "ready and reuse" model in Scotland. During four interactive training events, we will promote the census-linked products and disseminate knowledge to researchers on the system transformation happening in Scotland.
Potential applications and benefits
We will achieve our aims by completing four work packages (WP).
WP0: Promoting and maximising user engagement and census-linked data value. This work package will underpin all census-linked products. Our approach will enable researchers to understand the original sources of census-linked data, the processes required to provision census-linked data, and how researchers can access and work with census-linked data efficiently.
WP1: Improving the Equalities Protected Characteristics Research Dataset (henceforth Equalities). Administrative Data Research Scotland (ADR-Scotland) will deliver a standard update to the Equalities 2022 dataset, which will include data for people living in Scotland in 2022 who were not in Scotland in 2011, and, for the first time, include records of sexual orientation and trans status. While ADR-Scotland process these standard updates, we will be using the proposed ESRC grant to commission critical public engagement work on the acceptability of protected characteristics data and future research use. After the update has been completed, and as part of this ESRC proposal, we will analyse and explore potential improvements to the Equalities 2022 linkage to capture longitudinal changes in protected characteristics, particularly disability status. The exploratory longitudinal analysis and public engagement work are not currently planned by ADR-Scotland.
WP2: Empowering a cutting-edge census-linked product with the potential to improve our understanding of Scotland's workforce and start informing a future business spine. We will link the ASHE for Scotland with the 2022 census (hereafter ASHE-census). This data product will independently enable researchers to understand Scotland's workforce surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. ASHE-census will then enable future linkages to other data, empowering researchers to better understand the health and social experiences of Scotland's workforce. The ASHE-census represents added value and a unique opportunity to test the probabilistic linkage methodology required to inform a future business spine for Scotland.
WP3: Developing a synthetic data set. Creating a high-fidelity synthetic dataset for ASHE-census linkage will maximise use by raising awareness of census-linked data and support researchers to work with data prior to full application.
Impact on enabling excellent social science led research
All collaborators are leading the changes to Scotland's data linkage landscape, moving from "create and destroy" to "ready and reuse". We will use the proposed ESRC grant to accelerate these census-linked products into the Scottish National Safe Haven using a streamlined technical process and the recently launched Researcher Access Service. This represents time and resource efficiency savings for the provision of census data to researchers.
We aim to improve and empower three census-linked products for the 2022 Scottish census. The three products we will work on are:
Improving the Equalities Protected Characteristics data
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) to census linkage (ASHE-census)
A high-fidelity synthetic data set for ASHE-census
These census-linked products will be some of the first be created and accessed by researchers under the new "ready and reuse" model in Scotland. During four interactive training events, we will promote the census-linked products and disseminate knowledge to researchers on the system transformation happening in Scotland.
Potential applications and benefits
We will achieve our aims by completing four work packages (WP).
WP0: Promoting and maximising user engagement and census-linked data value. This work package will underpin all census-linked products. Our approach will enable researchers to understand the original sources of census-linked data, the processes required to provision census-linked data, and how researchers can access and work with census-linked data efficiently.
WP1: Improving the Equalities Protected Characteristics Research Dataset (henceforth Equalities). Administrative Data Research Scotland (ADR-Scotland) will deliver a standard update to the Equalities 2022 dataset, which will include data for people living in Scotland in 2022 who were not in Scotland in 2011, and, for the first time, include records of sexual orientation and trans status. While ADR-Scotland process these standard updates, we will be using the proposed ESRC grant to commission critical public engagement work on the acceptability of protected characteristics data and future research use. After the update has been completed, and as part of this ESRC proposal, we will analyse and explore potential improvements to the Equalities 2022 linkage to capture longitudinal changes in protected characteristics, particularly disability status. The exploratory longitudinal analysis and public engagement work are not currently planned by ADR-Scotland.
WP2: Empowering a cutting-edge census-linked product with the potential to improve our understanding of Scotland's workforce and start informing a future business spine. We will link the ASHE for Scotland with the 2022 census (hereafter ASHE-census). This data product will independently enable researchers to understand Scotland's workforce surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. ASHE-census will then enable future linkages to other data, empowering researchers to better understand the health and social experiences of Scotland's workforce. The ASHE-census represents added value and a unique opportunity to test the probabilistic linkage methodology required to inform a future business spine for Scotland.
WP3: Developing a synthetic data set. Creating a high-fidelity synthetic dataset for ASHE-census linkage will maximise use by raising awareness of census-linked data and support researchers to work with data prior to full application.
Impact on enabling excellent social science led research
All collaborators are leading the changes to Scotland's data linkage landscape, moving from "create and destroy" to "ready and reuse". We will use the proposed ESRC grant to accelerate these census-linked products into the Scottish National Safe Haven using a streamlined technical process and the recently launched Researcher Access Service. This represents time and resource efficiency savings for the provision of census data to researchers.
