New data from Understanding Society’s Innovation Panel is now available.
The Innovation Panel is a separate survey within Understanding Society. Its main purpose is to support experimental and methodological research that informs and improves longitudinal studies.
Wherever possible, the design, content, and data collection methods mirror those of the main Understanding Society survey.
The Innovation Panel conducts multiple experimental studies at each wave, randomly assigning individuals, households, interviewers, or areas to specific survey instruments or procedures. Measures are taken to ensure that these experiments do not interfere with one another.
Types of experiments and studies
The following list summarises experiments and studies carried in the Innovation Panel for all waves of the study. Each is described in greater detail in its own section of the User Guide.
- Procedural experiments
- Questionnaire design experiments – general issues
- Questionnaire design experiments – specific topics
- Non-experimental studies
Download the data
The Innovation panel Wave 17 data is now available from the UK Data Service: Innovation Panel, Waves 1-17, 2008-2024. SN6849.
What new experiments are now available?
Youth survey invite mailing
Some research has found that children like opening their own letters. This experiment aimed to investigate whether using letters addressed to children affects whether they complete the youth survey.
Consent decision process
Participants were asked variations of a question asking consent to link their survey responses to data from the Department for Work and Pensions about welfare benefits. The experiment aimed to see whether participants can be encouraged to think more reflectively about consent requests.
Identification of informal caregiving
Experiment to compare the standard Understanding Society questions on informal care against ‘activity-based’ questions.
Labour market expectations
Experiment to investigate respondents’ reporting of labour market expectations, depending on how options are presented to them.
Indoor environments and energy use
An overarching study looking at indoor environments and energy use, comprising two experimental studies:
- Indoor residential environment: consent for in-home sensor
- Domestic energy use: consent for smart meter data linkage
- Indoor residential environment and energy use: background information
Adaptation to eco-climate emergency
Questions about emotions related to climate change and support for / opposition to various associated policies.
Youth online survey
New online version of the youth questionnaire.
