iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Did you sneak some when you were in the elephant enclosure at Colchester Zoo?

Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

At a strict 5 minutes per episode that's 8 hours and 20 minutes of news fact-bombs that you wouldn't get on the grown-up news!

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

New working paper: Increasing consent to data linkage in web and F2F surveys: testing interventions designed to increase respondents’ trust, cognitive effort, or understanding @annettejackle.bsky.social Jim Vine @jonburton.bsky.social Mick P Couper. www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/pub...

Linking administrative data to surveys provides information that is more detailed and accurate than can be collected directly from respondents. However, increasing use of online data collection may limit the potential of linked data, as respondents interviewed online are consistently less likely to consent to linkage than those interviewed face-to-face. In this research we test the effects of two interventions, designed to affect the respondent’s decision process when answering consent questions. The first intervention provided additional information about the value for science of the linked data; the second used a video of an interviewer reading the consent question, instead of showing the question text on screen. The experiments were implemented in the Understanding Society Innovation Panel, a probability sample of households in Great Britain. The value for science question wording increased consent somewhat for face-to-face respondents and web respondents who saw the consent question as a video. The video question format increased consent by 10 percentage points among web respondents and seemed to have nudged respondents towards making a more trust-based decision. These findings highlight practical approaches for improving consent to data linkage in an increasingly online survey environment.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

New paper: Paradata Versus Self-Reports for the Collection of Technical Data About Smartphones: Trade-Offs Between Completeness and Accuracy of Data on Smartphone Operating System Versions. Jim Vine @annettejackle.bsky.social @jonburton.bsky.social Mick P Couper doi.org/10.1093/jssa...

Smartphones play a central role in everyday life and offer significant potential for survey data collection. However, their usefulness may be constrained by the smartphone’s operating system (OS) and its version, which determine app compatibility. This article investigates methods for accurately determining smartphone OS version, an important factor when evaluating device compatibility for data collection tools. We compare three approaches: (1) passive collection of paradata (user agent strings; UASs) from web respondents, (2) self-reported smartphone make and model matched to OS version information from an online database, and (3) direct self-reporting of OS version by respondents following step-by-step instructions. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study COVID-19 web survey, a probability sample of UK households, we assess the completeness and accuracy of each method. Our findings suggest the paradata were in some respects inferior to the methods based on self-reports. First, the UAS data only provided valid smartphone OS version data for about 50 percent of respondents; the other 50 percent did not use a smartphone to complete the web survey (compared to 90 percent and 71 percent of valid cases based on methods (2) and (3)). Second, the subset of respondents who completed the survey using their smartphone was not representative of the full set of respondents, while the respondents for whom OS version data were obtained from self-report methods were broadly representative. Third, the UAS data under-represented older OS versions. Respondents with older smartphones seem unlikely to use them to complete the survey. Our findings also show differences between OSes, suggesting it was easier for iPhone users to provide relevant and valid information than for Android users: they were more likely to report a valid make and model that could be linked to technical data, to report the OS version, and to use their smartphone to complete the survey.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

New working paper: Does asking for a stool sample affect survey participation? Evidence from the wave 16 pilot of @usociety.bsky.social @jasmineratcliff.bsky.social @jonburton.bsky.social Meena Kumari www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/pub...

Integrating biological measures into population surveys has expanded opportunities to investigate how social and environmental factors shape health. The gut microbiome is a promising target, reflecting the combined influence of diet, lifestyle, medication and environmental exposures, and offering a route to understanding how social experience becomes biologically embedded. Collecting microbiome data, however, requires a stool sample, raising concerns that such a request may reduce survey participation or introduce selection bias. Using the Wave 16 pilot of Understanding Society, participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a group invited to an interview ('main survey'), health measurements and a blood sample; and a stool-sample group additionally invited to provide a stool sample during the interview, with advance letters reflecting this group assignment. We examined whether stool-sample group assignment affected participation in the main survey, and, among that group, which characteristics were associated with consent to provide a sample. Being informed in advance that they would be asked to provide a stool sample was associated with substantially lower participation. 38% of those told they would be asked to provide a sample took part in the main survey, compared with 56% of those not asked, halving the odds of participation (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.32–0.78, p = 0.002). The request also appeared to affect who took part: those asked and participating were older, and tentatively less likely to be employed, than non-participants. Among the 91 participants asked, 59% consented to provide a sample, with consent again more likely among older participants and, more tentatively, those of White ethnic background and homeowners. The request therefore acted primarily as a barrier to survey entry rather than to consent. Fewer people took part, and those who did were older, though a majority went on to agree to provide a sample. This points to a risk of selection bias…

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

New paper: Getting consent to survey in new ways: evidence from experiments about questions by text message in the @usociety.bsky.social Innovation Panel. doi.org/10.1093/jssa... Jim Vine, @annettejackle.bsky.social @jonburton.bsky.social Mick P Couper

Some information cannot (reliably) be collected in annual surveys of panel members. Text messages (SMS) are well-suited to gathering time-sensitive responses, if a large and representative subset of a panel consents to being surveyed in this way. We investigate: (1) What proportion of respondents consent to text message questions? How does that vary by sample cohort, mode, and whether previously asked for consent? (2) What is the effect of consent question placement within the questionnaire? (3) Is the bias of the covered sample reduced by re-asking non-consenters at a later wave? (4) What coverage of non-internet users is gained by seeking consent for text message questioning? We use data from experiments within two waves (IP13 and IP15) of the Innovation Panel of Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Most respondents consented to receive questions by text message when first asked (69 percent in IP13, 74 percent in IP15). Of those who declined consent at IP13, 55 percent consented when re-asked two years later. Face-to-face respondents were more likely to consent than web respondents. Slightly more (2.4 percentage points, s.e. 1.5 percentage points) respondents consented when experimentally asked late in the questionnaire than when asked early. Re-asking consent not only reduced the proportion of people who had not provided consent, but also reduced non-consent bias, measured across a range of socio-demographic characteristics. Some panel members who never use the internet have mobile phones and consent to receive questions via text message, so this may complement web surveying.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Understanding why young people become NEET BLOG from @usociety.bsky.social by Holly Clarke What paths do young people take from education into work, and how do they affect health in later life? www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/blog/2026/09...

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

When does being NEET begin? BLOG from @usociety.bsky.social by @katie-taylor.bsky.social Teenage mental health and where we grow up in affects later participation in education, training and employment. www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/blog/2026/09...

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Interested to see how this goes. I had a minor op to correct a grossly deviated septum a couple of years ago and have had no sense of smell or taste since (plus constant post-nasal drip!)

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Need a new mattress, any recommendations of shops?

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Oh FFS! I'm already seeing Daniel Kitson on that date.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This was a great chat - the stuff about children growing older (~38 minutes in) was fantastic, and quite emotional - especially as my youngest is off to University in a few weeks time (and my eldest is on the other side of the world).

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Household finance data in @usociety.bsky.social A new Working Paper outlines the data we collect and how they are being used by economists. www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/pub...

understandingsociety.ac.uk

Household finances in Understanding Society – Understanding Society – Understanding Society

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Seminar from @usociety.bsky.social : Family influences on children's mental health and wellbeing How family environments shape children's socio-emotional development and mental health, using innovative longitudinal and network analysis approaches. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/family-inf...?

eventbrite.co.uk

Family influences on children's mental health and well-being

Seminar - Insights from Understanding Society

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Find out what @usociety.bsky.social did during 2025, plus read some of the research and policy impact from the year. Annual Report 2025: www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/news/2026/07...

Highlights from 2025
We released Wave 15 of the main Understanding Society study, Wave 17 of the Innovation Panel, add new biomarkers to our health assessment data, and new editions to our Calendar Year datasets, pregnancy and early childhood data, partnership histories, and linked geographical data
Our main survey dataset was downloaded over 3,500 times
Our main survey user guide was accessed 5,223 times
Our podcast series received over 17,300 listens
Our User Support team delivered training to 653 people, while 213 used our online Moodle courses
Our Participant Communications team responded to 4,971 queries

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Consultation: collecting event-triggered data on relationships and family transitions in @usociety.bsky.social We would welcome feedback on the proposed questions on family change to be fielded in the Life Events survey. www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/pub...

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Reposted by Jonathan Burton

Odd This Day @oddthisday.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

On this day in 1981, Richard Cobb got an honorary degree from the University of Essex. That may not seem significant to you, but it makes this afternoon the 45th anniversary of one of the finest graduation addresses ever delivered 🧵

A grey slate plaque with white lettering reads: Historian Richard Cobb got an honorary degree here on a sweltering day in 1981. His speech, in full: “Well, it’s very hot and the pubs are open.”

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Reposted by Jonathan Burton

European Social Survey @ess-survey.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Nominations for the latest Survey Futures Early Career Impact Awards are now open until Thursday 10 September. Early career researchers working in the UK 🇬🇧 on survey design, delivery, or methods for up to seven years are eligible for nomination.

buff.ly

Early Career Impact Awards - Survey Futures

We are pleased to announce that Survey Futures is running its Early Career Impact Awards for the second time, this year, set to take place on 11 November 2026 in London.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

This was an excellent conference, covering a wide breadth of survey topics.

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Reposted by Jonathan Burton

Understanding Society @usociety.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

7 July, 2.00-4.00, a workshop from the Survey Futures project on nonresponse follow-ups to web surveys. Are they still needed? And what are the implications for data quality? The workshop is free to attend, but you need to register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/survey-fut...

eventbrite.co.uk

Survey Futures Workshop: Nonresponse follow-ups to web surveys

Are nonresponse follow-ups to web surveys of the UK general population still needed? Implications for data quality

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Are nonresponse follow-ups to web surveys of the UK general population still needed? Implications for data quality Online workshop presents results and implications for survey practice on web nonresponse and follow-ups. 7th July, 2-4pm. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/survey-fut...?

eventbrite.co.uk

Survey Futures Workshop: Nonresponse follow-ups to web surveys

Are nonresponse follow-ups to web surveys of the UK general population still needed? Implications for data quality

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Do the effects of interviewer administered follow-ups of web non-respondents on dataset quality differ between overall datasets and population subgroup datasets? surveyfutures.net/wp-content/u...

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

The study investigated the impact of breakfast schemes on attainment, absence and punctuality, body weight, social-emotional wellbeing, as well as parents’ financial situation.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

New research on free breakfast in primary schools: impacts and challenges Monday, July 13 • 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM In-person at Nuffield Foundation, London - or hybrid www.iser.essex.ac.uk/research/new... Presented by Professor Birgitta Rabe and Dr Angus Holford from the @iseressex.bsky.social.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

New ESRA special interest group for those with a special interest in Biomedical Survey Research www.europeansurveyresearch.org/esra-special...

The Biomedical Survey Research Special Interest Group brings together researchers and practitioners interested in survey research that includes biomedical data collection. This includes surveys that collect objective health measures alongside questionnaire data, using in‑person, remote or hybrid approaches.

The inclusion of biomedical components offers important opportunities to strengthen measurement and inference in health and population research, but also raises distinctive methodological, practical, ethical and governance challenges. These challenges are often encountered at the intersection of survey design, fieldwork delivery and developments originating outside the survey field.

The SIG provides a forum within ESRA for exchange and collaboration on these issues, supporting informed survey design and advancing methodological understanding of biomedical survey research.

Topics

The SIG focuses on, but is not limited to, the following topics:

Design and integration of biomedical components within surveys
Measurement quality, validity and comparability of biomedical measures
Design‑stage decision making for biomedical survey components, including feasibility, burden and ethical considerations
Recruitment, consent and participation in surveys involving biomedical assessments
Fieldwork models for biomedical surveys, including interviewer‑assisted, nurse‑led and self‑collection approaches
New and emerging developments relevant to biomedical data collection in surveys, including devices, data donation and wearables that collect health measures
Combining biomedical measures with questionnaire, administrative or other data sources
Ethical, legal and governance considerations
Inclusion, equity and accessibility in surveys involving biomedical components
Analysis and interpretation of biomedical survey data

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Includes a reference by Ronni to an ageing study "ELSA" - aka English Longitudinal Study of Ageing - an excellent research study: www.elsa-project.ac.uk

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Rising natural gas and electricity prices: longitudinal evidence on physical health and socioeconomic vulnerability - using @usociety.bsky.social data www.iser.essex.ac.uk/research/pub... By Seung Eun Cha, Sangwhee Lee, Benjamin D. Douglas, Carol D. Ryff.

Rising energy prices complicate how individuals navigate life. Prior studies have largely conceptualized energy prices as an economic pressure linked to poorer health. Yet natural gas and electricity—the primary domestic energy sources—serve distinct purposes and are not interchangeable. Beyond household income, educational attainment may be another key factor influencing the relationship between energy prices and physical health. The current study separates energy prices into two sources and examines whether educational attainment is associated with physical health during periods of energy price changes, above and beyond income. Using longitudinal data from the UK Longitudinal Household Survey (UKHLS) from 2014 through 2023 (Waves 5 to 14), combined with geocoded regional records of unit energy prices, we explore how within-person changes in energy prices relate to physical functioning, and whether socioeconomic factors (income and educational attainment) moderate this relationship. Multilevel models showed that increasing energy prices were related to an overall decline in physical functioning. These effects were amplified among individuals with lower incomes, although education also emerged as an important moderator. Those with lower educational attainment showed a greater decline in physical functioning when energy prices were higher. Sensitivity analysis further suggests that natural gas and electricity prices may be associated with different patterns of health burden over time. Overall, the results indicate that vulnerability to energy price fluctuations is structured by both economic and educational resources. By revealing how domestic gas and electricity prices intersect with social determinants of health, this study advances understanding of the association between energy-related hardship and physical health and highlights potential policy levers to reduce health inequalities.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Ally is completely wrong. I, for one, am 54 and so am one of the cool kids (and have heard of Mrs McCluskey).

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Mr Blobby made an extraordinary and unexpected entrance towards the end of Stuart Laws "as Michael Caine saying Never for one hour" show (also with Phil Wang as Liam Neeson, and James Acaster as a bat-wrangler).

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Genuinely disappointed to hear this - it was my one "drop whatever podcast I'm playing and listen to this first" show. Sunday late-afternoons (I'm not getting up to listen to this nonsense) will never be the same again. For a while.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Really interesting book club podcast with @herring1967.bsky.social talking to Jonathan Grant about “Reading the room” - the state of standup comedy in 21st C: gofasterstripe.com/cgi-bin/w.cg...

gofasterstripe.com

Go Faster Stripe

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Registration now open – @usociety.bsky.social Biosocial Conference 2026: combining biological and social data. A one-day event bringing together researchers working with biological and social data. London, Broadway House, 15 October 2026. www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/news/2026/05...

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

A couple of excellent episodes of this podcast.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Autumn Budget 2025 supports ‘most vulnerable’. @resolutionfoundation.org uses @usociety.bsky.social to see if tax plans are progressive. Story: www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/impact/autum... Report: www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/wp-content/u...

understandingsociety.ac.uk

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Barriers to opportunity for children and young people/ Long read: what research using @usociety.bsky.social tells us about children and young people’s futures. www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/blog/2026/04...

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Registration now open – @usociety.bsky.social Biosocial Conference 2026: combining biological and social data www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/news/2026/05... The conference will take place in London at Broadway House on 15 October 2026.

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Reposted by Jonathan Burton

Understanding Society @usociety.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

New Working Paper from @profpeterlynn.bsky.social: Web-first or CAPI-first? How best to combine modes to recruit a probability-based general population survey sample. Web-first design resulted in higher response rates and a more representative sample. www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/pub...

understandingsociety.ac.uk

Web-first or CAPI-first? How best to combine modes to recruit a probability-based general population survey sample – Understanding Society – Understanding Society

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Controversial disqualification of @herring1967.bsky.social from Osman's "best celebrity quizzer" answer on @trientertainment.bsky.social today.

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Jonathan Burton @jonburton.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

This is one of the maddest ones yet.

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