Centre for Comparative Social Surveys

Established in 2003, the Centre for Comparative Social Surveys is host to the European Social Survey (ESS), a multi-nation initiative designed to monitor and explain trends in attitudes, beliefs and values across countries in Europe (and its close neighbours).

The Centre is the lead partner in the project. Supported by the European Commission under successive Framework Programme grants, since 2009 the Centre has been part-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Staff in the Centre

• Rory Fitzgerald, Acting Director
• Dr Sarah Butt, Research Fellow
• Lizzy Gatrell, Researcher
• Dr Eric Harrison, Acting Deputy Director, Senior Research Fellow
• Mary Keane, Centre Administrator
• Yvette Prestage, Researcher
• Dr Lorna Ryan, Research Manager
• Dr Ana Villar, Research Fellow
• Sally Widdop, Research Fellow

The European Social Survey

Designed to exceptionally rigorous standards, the European Social Survey aims to improve comparative social measurement both within and beyond Europe.

This biennial survey is currently completing its fifth round and planning for the sixth is well underway. In every round, core questions are asked about:

• political orientations, attitudes and behaviour
• underlying social and moral values
• national, ethnic and religious allegiances
• socio-demographic variables.

Other topics are covered on a 'rotating' basis, following a Europe-wide competition. So far these have included:

• attitudes to immigration and asylum
• active citizenship
• attitudes to health and medicine
• the balance between work and family
• economic morality
• the welfare state
• ageism
• trust in the police and courts.

Download the source questionnaire used in the fifth round.

ESS data are freely available and may be accessed directly via the archive at http://ess.nsd.uib.no or through the ESS main website.

Individual queries should be directed to the team at ess@city.ac.uk.

External links

ESRC Quantitative Methods Investments

• Applied Quantitative Methods Network (AQMeN) - Edinburgh
• The Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research (CCSR) - Manchester
• Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) - Cardiff
• Learning Environment for Multilevel Methodology and Applications (LEMMA II) (NCRM node) - Bristol
• National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM hub) - Southampton
• Courses in Applied Social Surveys (CASS) - Southampton
• SIMIAN: Simulation Innovation: A Node (NCRM node) - Surrey
• The Lancaster-Warwick-Stirling Node: Developing Statistical Modelling in the Social Sciences Phase 2 (NCRM node) - Lancaster
• Understanding Population Trends and Processes (UPTAP) - Leeds
• Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) Institute of Education - London
• Survey Resources Network (SRN) - Essex
• Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) - Essex
• The Researcher Development Initiative (RDI). Multiple projects at various locations
• Administrative Data - Methods, Inference and Network (ADMIN) (NCRM node) - Institute of Education - London
• Bayesian Methods for Integrated Bias Modelling and Analysis of Multiple Data Sources in Observational Studies (BIAS II) (NCRM node) - Imperial College - London
• Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice (cemmap) - London