Integrated Survey Data
Overview and conditions of access
UK Data Service
October 2025
Plan of the presentation
- Most common surveys with integrated data
- Typical data integrated with surveys
- Accessing secure integrated datasets
Integrated data
When we add non survey data to survey data
- Whether part of the original data collection or not
- Whether primary or secondary
- Whether same unit of analysis as the survey or not
- Validation or enhancement (Benzeval et al 2020)
Administrative, biometric, geographic, social media data
- Accelerometer, genetic data, individual NHS/PAYE records
This talk mostly deals with integrated data available at the UK Data Service
Part 1
Overview
Depends on:
- The topic covered by the data linked i.e. does it match common topics studied in surveys?
- The survey itself (i.e. does it include the required linking information / user consent)
- … Scope of the surveys i.e. is linkage part of the original data collection, or is it a subsequent project?
Major longitudinal studies:
- For a variety of reasons - more straightforward
- Birth cohort studies
- Next Steps and ELSA
- Understanding Society
A few large scale cross-sectional surveys such as:
- ASHE (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings)
- Family Resources Survey
- Scottish Health Survey (project)
Birth cohort studies
- Follow a sample of individuals over their whole life
- Born during a specific period of 1958(NCDS), 1970(BCS), 2000 (MCS), 2026 (?)
- Millenium Cohort Study (MCS)
- ~ 19,000 children (born between June 2001 and Jan 2003)
- 7 ‘sweeps’ 9 months then at 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, years old
- Parent and child interviews
- Focuses on education, skills and health, truancy, cognitive ability, biological measurements
- … In addition to traditional socio-economic and demographic data
Understanding Society (1)
The largest longitudinal study representative of the UK population
Initial sample size: 40K households, 100K individuals
14 waves so far: 2009-23. Includes BHPS data 1991-2009
Ethnic minority boost samples, innovation panel
Very wide range of topics covered:
- Employment, income, benefits, savings, debt, and assets
- Health, well-being, and health behaviours
- Housing, housing costs, and dwelling characteristics
Understanding Society (2)
Further topics:
- Family, partnerships, caring responsibilities,
- Education, training
- Expenditure, consumption, deprivation
- Social attitudes, values, political opinions
- Transport, mobility, and commuting patterns
- Environmental behaviours, and related attitudes
Other studies
Next Steps
- Formerly Longitudinal Study of Young People in England - LSYPE
- 16,000 people in England born 1980-90, from secondary school age (i.e. 13-14) onwards
- Initially set up by DfE to examine determinants of school achievement
ELSA (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing):
- Follows a sample of 19,000 people aged over 50 to understand all aspects of ageing in England.
- Started in 2002, biennial waves.
- Data on physical and mental health (incl. well-being), financial circumstances, and attitudes about ageing.
Part 2
Overview
Administrative records
- ie data collected by a public ie state controlled authority: government department, the NHS
- Health: NHS, SHS: medical records ie outpatient attendance, hospitalisation episodes, maternity
- Education: National Pupil Database, school profile/teacher survey, student loan data, OFSTED data
- Pollution, green space deciles, PAYE data
Non survey measurement: energy consumption, health, behavioural
Social media/digital trace
What is on offer: examples
