Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Readership Surveys are conducted quarterly either by the British Market Research Bureau or by Research Services Ltd. (1956 - 1959 Research Services Ltd; 1960 - 1967 British Market Research Bureau; 1968 - 1973 Research Services Ltd; 1974 - 1976 British Market Research Bureau; from 1977 onwards Research Services Ltd.). These surveys are designed principally to provide detailed information about the newspaper and magazine reading habits of the British people. The sponsors are virtually all the leading newspaper proprietors and advertising agencies in the country; many leading manufacturers were also consulted over the plan of the surveys. All surveys are substantially the same in form and content. Further details are available from the Archive upon application.

Main Topics: Variables Region and polling district; town size; % Labour to Conservative in constituency; % jurors to electorate in polling district; classification of informant & household; social grade of household; household composition; age; age when finished full-time education; type of school/college last attended; qualifications obtained; accent of informant; whether informant occupied; occupation of informant/head of household; smoking habits; drinking habits; camera usage; use of cosmetics; monthly general magazine readership; monthly women's magazine readership; national Sunday newspaper - detailed reading habits (where read, who pays, no. times read in week); daily national newspaper - detailed reading habits (where read, who pays, no. times read in day); cinema visiting; TV viewing; Radio Luxembourg listening; national morning newspaper readership; provincial morning newspaper readership; evening newspaper readership; Sunday national newspaper readership; household composition (detailed); no. electors in household/institution; home tenure; description of dwelling; household status of informant; sex and marital status; occupational details (i.e. industry, social grade etc.); income cohort; whether has PO savings or bank account; ownership of stocks shares or holdings in a unit trust; ownership of selected durable goods; car ownership; whether informant buys most petrol; selected publications, detailed reading habits (who pays, where read, no. times read); whether informant DIY person; ownership of household pets (cats, dogs, birds); holiday away from home; holiday abroad; Sunday provincial newspaper readership. <i>earlier surveys only</i>.

Face-to-face interview