UK Voices: New Methods for Understanding the Impact of Social Change on Individual Lives, Work Package 1 Pilot Mainstage, 2025

Sharrock, Sarah and Jessop, Curtis and Hussey, David and Munro, Gayle (2025). UK Voices: New Methods for Understanding the Impact of Social Change on Individual Lives, Work Package 1 Pilot Mainstage, 2025. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-858211

Data description (abstract)

The UK Voices pilot study aimed to help develop a new approach to collecting and using in-depth interview data. Its purpose was to test whether and how open-ended qualitative interview data could be collected at scale, to build a detailed and representative picture of the lives of people in the UK and support future research on a wide range of topics.

Details of the wider study, together with archived data from the scoping phase, are provided in Byrne, G., Elliott, J., Friese, C. (2025). UK Voices: New Methods for Understanding the Impact of Social Change on Individual Lives, 2024 available at DOI: 10.5255/UKDA-SN-857940.

The data in this data deposit comprises mixed methods data from 38 individuals who participated in the pilot mainstage, which explored the effectiveness of a Panel-based recruitment approach, as well as of the open-ended interview approach to gather detailed qualitative data at scale. The sample was drawn from NatCen’s Opinion Panel, Britain’s longest-running random probability-based panel. Details of sample characteristics are provided in the summary report.

The archived data includes demographic and attitudinal data drawn from responses to surveys in which the sample had previously taken part as members of the NatCen Opinion Panel, together with transcripts of individual interviews. The qualitative interviews openly explored participants’ life story accounts, as well as questions about their daily lives, neighbourhood and belonging, health and wellbeing, finance, and thoughts about the future. Reflections on the interview experience, including facilitators and barriers to participating in research of this nature, were also explored. Full details are provided in the summary report and documentation.

Data creators:
Creator Name Affiliation ORCID (as URL)
Sharrock Sarah National Centre for Social Research
Jessop Curtis National Centre for Social Research
Hussey David National Centre for Social Research
Munro Gayle National Centre for Social Research
Sponsors: Economic and Social Research Council
Grant reference: ES/B000147/1
Topic classification: Politics
Health
Economics
Education
Labour and employment
Society and culture
Keywords: LIFE HISTORIES, SOCIAL CHANGE, EVERYDAY LIFE, CULTURAL LIFE, HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, PERSONAL FINANCE MANAGEMENT, COST OF LIVING, LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT, RETIREMENT, SOCIAL ACTIVITIES (LEISURE), LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, FAMILY LIFE, PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP, HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS, SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS, FRIENDS, FUTURE SOCIETY, ASPIRATION, AGEING, CHANGING SOCIETY, POLITICAL ATTITUDES, SOCIAL ATTITUDES, SOCIAL WELFARE, SOCIAL INEQUALITY, SOCIAL LIFE, IMMIGRATION, MIGRATION (HUMAN), NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITY LIFE, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, SOCIAL MEDIA, MASS MEDIA
Project title: UK Voices: New Methods for Understanding the Impact of Social Change on Individual Lives
Grant holders: Elliott Jane
Date published: 23 Dec 2025 08:25
Last modified: 23 Dec 2025 08:25

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