Researchers interested in learning how to access and analyse Understanding Society data using Stata can attend a two-day training course from 25 to 26 November 2013 at the University of Essex.
This course is aimed at new users of Understanding Society, as well as those who have so far made use only of simpler aspects of the data. It is the first course to make use of wave 3 data which are to be released by UKDA on 22 November. You will need a basic working knowledge of Stata
The course is run by a team of Understanding Society experts based at ISER, including by Dr. Gundi Knies, Dr. Alita Nandi and Dr. Simonetta Longhi .
Course tutor, Dr Gundi Knies said:
“The underlying structure of Understanding Society is complex, with various different data about individuals and the households in which they live. New and innovative features of the survey also add other layers of complexity. Analysing such data require good understanding of the structure as well as the complex sample design.”
Gundi added that while the survey team had endeavoured to make this structure as transparent as possible through the way data are organised, the number of different data sets could appear daunting to researchers looking to use the data for the first time.
The course aims to guide data users through some of the study’s complexities, and ensure that they can effectively make use of as much of the data as they require for their own research projects.
The main focus is on the data reorganisation techniques required for different types of cross-sectional and longitudinal research, rather than the statistical techniques themselves, but it is informed by the ways in which data require to be organised for different statistical techniques. The course also provides information and guidance on the weights provided in the study and examples of how these may be used.
By the end of the two day course, participants will have a thorough knowledge of Understanding Society from survey design to data-set structure, and will have the tools to make the most of a rich, but complex, data set.
Places for the courses fill up very fast, so researchers are urged to register now quickly to avoid disappointment.