Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The objectives of the project were : to prepare the case for the ESRC/JISC purchase of 2001 Census datasets and to prepare the case for a Census Programme and suggest directions it might take; to prepare options for ESRC/JISC on the dissemination of the datasets; to prepare proposals to the Census Offices on Census questions, methods and products; to prepare proposals to the Census Offices on collaborative ventures; to advise on a strategy for negotiations with the Census Offices. A similar survey, for the 1991 Census, was conducted in 1987 by Marsh, C. et al : the data from this study are held at the Data Archive under SN:2460.

Main Topics:

The dataset contains the responses of 140 academic users of census data on their views about the 2001 Census of population. Questions were asked under the following four themes : 1. Topics and questions proposed for the 2001 Census. 2. Proposed changes in concepts for the 2001 Census. 3. Proposed changes in outputs for the 2001 Census : Area Statistics, Samples of Anonymised Records (SARS), Migration Statistics, Workplace Statistics, the ONS Longitudinal Study - inclusion of the 2001 Census, boundary data, look up tables, flexible outputs from the 2001 Census. 4. ESRC/JISC Census Programme services : registration procedures, help with census data, documentation and training, methods of access, software for extraction and analysis of census data, shape of the ESRC/JISC Census Programme after 2001. Measurement Scales The main scale used was a five-part categorisation of usefulness/importance for the respondent's research : essential; highly desirable; of interest; very low priority; not of interest.

1200 questionnaires were sent to all social science departments in UK universities and to all individuals on various ESRC/JISC Census Programme lists.

Postal survey