Understanding Society and the UK Data Service have launched a new teaching dataset designed to introduce students and lecturers teaching longitudinal data methods to our COVID-19 survey data. The new resource includes data from the Understanding Society COVID-19 Study with background information about the participants collected during their main Understanding Society annual interviews.
COVID-19 Study
The Covid survey set out, from April 2020, to find out how the pandemic was affecting people’s lives. As the UK went into the first lockdown, Understanding Society developed a way to capture these experiences by asking participants to complete a short web survey – initially monthly. The 20-minute questionnaire had core questions to track changes in people’s lives, plus content that varied as the situation developed. It covers issues such as
- working at home and home-schooling
- COVID symptoms
- health and wellbeing
- social contact and neighbourhood cohesion.
The first four waves took place from April to July 2020, and then every two months from September 2020 until March 2021. The ninth and final wave was in September 2021.
COVID-19 Teaching Dataset
The new teaching dataset includes data from the original COVID-19 study in two files:
- a cross-sectional file with data mainly from Wave 4 (July 2020)
- a longitudinal file with data mainly from Wave 1, 4 and 9 (April and July 2020, and September 2021).
The teaching dataset is a collaboration between Understanding Society and the UK Data Service, and was created after a request from Sin Yi Cheung, Professor of Sociology at Cardiff University, who wanted a teaching resource for her students.
Dr Alita Nandi, Associate Director (Outreach), for Understanding Society, says: “Our COVID-19 data is a good introduction to longitudinal data for new users. With its large, representative sample, it allows researchers to explore how the pandemic affected individuals, families and communities across the UK.”
Dr Piotr Marzec, Senior Data Analyst and Training Officer for Understanding Society added, “Creating this new teaching resource makes this data accessible for students, too – the social science researchers of tomorrow – and it comes with a user guide to make the experience easier. This introduces students to the structure of the dataset, and the topics covered – and helps them find other training and support from Understanding Society.”
Download the new COVID-19 Teaching Dataset
New COVID-19 Study Teaching Dataset – Access Data
COVID-19 Study Teaching Dataset – Nesstar Catalogue
Covid 19Education
