NatCen Social Research: Promoting accessible and open data

“... In 2010, while launching plans for the ‘Big Society’, David Cameron stated that “It goes without saying, if we want people to play a bigger part in our society, we need to give them the information.” The Government has stuck to its agenda, re-launching data.gov.uk and releasing the Open Data White Paper and departmental open data strategies in June.  So how has this policy fared so far?  Earlier this month, the Public Accounts Committee published a report evaluating the success of the Government’s transparency agenda. It praised the Government for achieving the majority of its commitments but criticised it for ‘dumping’ data without repackaging information for public use. It also noted a lack of attention on ‘how to sustain interest in data after the initial launch’.  Whether or not you agree with the Big Society, getting information into the hands of the people whose lives it can improve is clearly desirable and is at the heart of what we work for here at NatCen Social Research.  It is not enough to publish and hope people will find and understand it. Social researchers have a responsibility to work with government and other groups, not just to release data but to make it accessible and intelligible to the general public. One obvious way of doing this is to produce clear and concise reports, with research findings located in the relevant context. The Government Social Research Code highlights how this helps ensure that the contribution of the research can be clearly understood by those for whom the information is most valuable. The code also recognises that dissemination doesn’t end with reports; data should be made available ‘wherever possible’, to reach the widest range of users and facilitate informed debate.  Our researchers have been busy making sure our findings reach the widest range of users, giving TV interviews on the rise of high street bookies, writing news paperarticles explaining public attitudes to welfare recipients and debating the causes of the riots at our summer event. Of course, the internet and social media play a key part in this, allowing researchers outside and inside government to reach huge numbers of people with information that can help them. The ever-expanding data.gov.uk and complementary sources like NHS Choices are positive steps. Moreover, the Civil Service’s social media guidelines clearly emphasise the value of being part of the online discussion.  At a time of austerity it’s really important that we get the most out of social research. Here at NatCen we know there’s still a lot more we can do; working with the government to build on the positive steps they’ve already taken to open up data is a key part of this.”