The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is hosting a meeting on the topic of the UK census. The meeting is taking place on Wednesday 21 October 2009 (1400-1700 hrs), at the RSS, 12 Errol St, London EC1Y 8LX.

For details see the flyer here.

Census.ac.uk are pleased to announce a new series of workshops for the coming academic year.

The workshops are free and you can book as many as you like.

The first two workshops will be held on 27 and 28 October at the University of Stirling. Book soon to avoid disappointment.

Click on the links below to see further details, and to complete the online booking form.

27 October 2009 (University of Stirling)
Workshop: Working with longitudinal Scottish census data (with a focus on
spatial data)
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2320

28 October 2009 (University of Stirling)
Workshop: An introduction to mapping census data
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2321

15 December 2009 (City University, London)
Workshop: using census data in methods teaching
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2322

8 January 2010 (University of Cardiff)
Census data workshop: using migration data and the ONS Longitudinal Study
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2327

3 February 2010 (University of Southampton)

Census data workshop: changing geography masterclass
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2323

15 March 2010 (University of Essex)
Workshop: Overview of census data resources
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2328

More to come. See our workshops webpage for a complete list of forthcoming
workshops: http://census.ac.uk/News/Workshops.aspx

2011 Census: Producing the Numbers
==================================

1 June 2009, Royal Statistics Society
This meeting will offer the first integrated presentation of the proposed end-to-end methodology for the production of 2011 census population estimates.  Aspects of 2011 census proposals, particularly the use of post-out and post-back of questionnaires, a parallel internet data collection channel, coverage survey and increased use of external data sources for census validation all present new opportunities and challenges compared with previous censuses.  The event will comprise four presentations by the Office for National Statistics, each presenting the proposed methodology for an important stage of the census processing and followed by an initial review by an expert discussants: Prof Phil Rees, Prof Ian Diamond; John Bradley and Prof Ludi Simpson.  Presentations will note major differences of methodology within the UK and there will be opportunity for open discussion on each topic.

The second of these is not yet on the RSS website but both are bookable by emailing conference@rss.org.uk for a booking form.

Census data workshop: using migration data and the ONS Longitudinal Study

Southend, 26 June

Time: 10.30-16.00 (10.00 registration and refreshments)
Date: Friday, 26 June 2009
Place: University of Essex, Southend Campus, Elmer Approach, Southend-on-
Sea, SS1 1LW
Booking and information:
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2175

This workshop will include an introduction to the data services offered by
Census.ac.uk and is aimed at those studying or working in the UK higher and
further education sector, but is not limited to those already registered to use
the census.

At this workshop users will be introduced to the activities of the Centre for
Interaction Data Estimation and Research (CIDER) and the Web-based
Interface to Census Interaction Data (WICID) data extraction system.

Rachel Stuchbury, Julian Buxton and Christopher Marshall from the Centre for
Longitudinal Study Information and User Support (CelSIUS) will introduce the
Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, with a focus on health and
ethnicity, discussing data sources and structure, offering suggestions for
research topics and designs, showing how to access the data and giving
participants an opportunity to explore the data for themselves using two
teaching datasets, on ethnicity and limiting long term illness respectively.

Shane Bartley, Strategy and Performance Advisor at Southend Borough
Council, will give a short talk about their preparations for the 2011 census.

The workshop is free to attend and includes lunch and refreshments. However
travel and accommodation costs will need to be met by the participants.

Booking and information:
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2175

BSPS day meeting: Health and mortality using record linkage data in the UK

 LG03, New Academic Building, London School of Economics

14th  May 2009

Programme

10.30 Registration and Coffee

11.00 Introduction by the Chair

11.10 Marital history and mortality using ONS Longitudinal Study data, Emily Grundy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

 3.50 Final questions and comments

4.00 End of meeting

3.10 Associations between self reported health and mortality in the UK: analysis of the Longitudinal Studies of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Harriet Young, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

2.30 Reinvigorating your data with some contextual colour: examples from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study. Dermot O’Reilly, Queens University Belfast

12.50 Lunch (not provided) Optional demonstration of the Centre for Longitudinal Study Information and User Support (CeLSIUS) web resources.

1.50 Using the Scottish Longitudinal Study to consider the effects of widowhood on mortality,   Paul Boyle, University of St. Andrews

 12.20 Paid employment, permanent sickness and mortality risk: England and Wales 1971-2001, David Blane, Imperial College London

11.50 Examining the influence of health selection on male mortality by socio-economic position, England and Wales, 2001-04,  Chris White, Office for National Statistics

This day meeting is open to all, and is free of charge. However, - please email pic@lse.ac.uk or phone 020 7955 7666 to pre-register   pre-registration is essential

2009 Conference – Location, location, location – Whither Geographical Information  

Royal Society, London

Thursday 14 May 2009

To book click here

Since Lord Chorley’s Report charted a course for handling geographical information 20 years ago, there have been huge advances in spatial data and the technology to process them: digital mapping, aerial photography and gazetteers, GPS, mobile and internet GIS, to name but a few. They play a key role in decision-making in government, public services, commerce, transport and utilities: in committee rooms, back and front offices and in the field. But familiar old problems persist with data duplication, access, pricing and licensing, boundary changes and compatibilities, and a general lack of coordination and direction. A Location Council has been set up to deliver the UK Location Strategy published in November and implement the EU INSPIRE initiative. This year’s BURISA Conference is the ideal opportunity to catch up with progress and issues in geographical information, demystify the jargon and look ahead to future developments.

Professor John Shepherd, Chair of Human Geography, Birkbeck, University of London, will chair the day.

Speakers will include (details subject to confirmation):
Dr. Robert Barr OBE, Tim Allen, Peter ter Haar, Jamie Justham, Giles Finnemore, Steven Brandwood, David Fry, Brian Higgs, Andy Tait, A speaker from the Association for Geographic Information

http://www.burisa.org/2009%20Conference.htm

More information is available from Hamza Anwar at the Royal Statistical Society
Phone: 0207 614 3933 Email: h.anwar@rss.org.uk Fax: 0207 614 3905

For directions to The Royal Society: http://royalsociety.org/downloaddoc.asp?id=657

TO BOOK simply complete and return the booking form

2011 Census research: new data, linkage and outputs

Date: 13 May 2009
Location: Royal Statistical Society, London

This one-day conference showcases the work of nine research projects funded during 2008-09 by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). These have focused on developments in 2011 census data products, innovations in census data linkage through time and emerging web-based technologies for census data dissemination. The day is intended to inform debate concerning future research priorities surrounding the delivery of data from the 2011 UK censuses and the requirements of contemporary census research users.

09.30 Registration
Chair of meeting – Prof Mike Batty, University College London

10.00 Welcome and overview – Prof David Martin, University of  Southampton

2011 data developments

10.10 Towards 2011 output geographies: adapting and evaluating automated zone design methods for maintaining the 2001 output geographies – Samantha Cockings, University of Southampton

10.35 Microdata, research facilities and work practice in the UK Social Science Community Census data linkage – Dr Jo Wathan, University of Manchester

11.00 Developing Analyses of the England & Wales, Scottish and Northern Ireland Census Longitudinal Studies: health and mortality as a case study – Harriet Young, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
11.25 Coffee

Data linkage

11.45 Testing the feasibility of extending the Scottish Longitudinal Study back through time – Prof Paul Boyle, University of St Andrews

12.10 Web-based Spatio-temporal Interpolator for Census Area Statistics – Prof Nigel Walford and Dr Shaozhong Shi, Kingston University

12.35 Questions to presenters
12.50 Lunch

Emerging technologies for data dissemination

13.45 A Census data feed research network – Dr Oliver Duke-Williams, University of Leeds

14.10 Creating a Census (Meta)Data Feed – Justin Hayes, University of Manchester

14.35 DiaD – Data Integration and Dissemination – James Reid, University of Edinburgh

15.00 Census Geographic Information Visualisation (Censusgiv) – Dr Pablo Mateos, University College London

15.25 Discussion led by panel

16.00 Close

The meeting will take place at the Royal Statistical Society headquarters, 12 Errol Street, London, EC1Y 8LX

The following registration charges apply:
£20 RSS Retired or Student Fellows
£22 RSS CStat/GradStat
£25 RSS Fellows
£30 RSS Linked Associates
£40 None of the above
email conference@rss.org.uk   for a booking form

Map and directions

Census workshop: health and ethnicity – using Samples of Anonymised Records and ONS Longitudinal Study

Time: 10.00-15.45
Date: Thursday, 16 April 2009
Place: Level 3A/3B, Main Building, City University, Northampton Square,
London, EC1V 0HB
Booking: http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/eventdetail.asp?id=2174

Rachel Stuchbury, Julian Buxton and Christopher Marshall from the Centre for
Longitudinal Study Information and User Support (CelSIUS) will introduce the
Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, with a focus on health and
ethnicity, discussing data sources and structure, offering suggestions for
research topics and designs, showing how to access the data and giving
participants an opportunity to explore the data for themselves using two
teaching datasets, on ethnicity and limiting long term illness respectively.

Jo Wathan and Selvino deKort from the Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and
Survey Research, Manchester University will talk about the Samples of
Anonymised Records (SARs) from the 2001 Census. These are a family of
datasets for one census point only. In this presentation and hands-on session
they will introduce the data and show how they can be used to look at health
for different ethnic groups. The hands-on session will enable participants to
use the data themselves using online tools and SPSS. Further information
about the data can be obtained at http://sars.census.ac.uk.

There are now three census-based record linkage studies covering all
constituent parts of the UK, the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal
Study (ONS LS) covering England and Wales (established in the mid 1970s);
the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) and the Northern Ireland Longitudinal
Study (NILs), both of which were launched in 2007. Harriet Young from the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will talk about a project to
develop methods and procedures for carrying out parallel and combined
analyses of these three studies. An exemplar research project is used to
analyse the association between self-reported health and long-term illness in
the 2001 census and subsequent mortality in all three studies. Here, she will
present the results of this research to date.

This workshop will include an introduction to the data services offered by
Census.ac.uk and is aimed at those studying or working in the UK higher and
further education sector, but is not limited to those already registered to use
the census.

The workshop is free to attend and includes lunch and refreshments. However
travel and accommodation costs will need to be met by the participants.

Market Research Society (MRS) Conference

European Geodemographics

One-day conference on Wednesday 1 April 2009
at the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Economic, cultural and political boundaries are blurring.  As more organisations begin to operate globally, it is essential for them to consider how to accurately define their target markets and communicate
with people from a wide range of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

How easy is it to do this? How different from the UK are European markets? What data sources are available? Are there legal issues? What does the future hold?

On Wednesday 1 April these questions, and more, will be addressed at a one-day conference in London which will look at how geodemographics is being used across the wider European market to help businesses segment
their increasingly diverse target markets.

Chaired by Dr Peter Furness, a well known authority on advanced targeting techniques and geodemographics in the UK and Europe, the conference will bring together experts from all sides of the information industry and will drive towards identifying key gaps in the data landscape as well as setting an agenda for priority action to
fill those gaps.

The conference will include presentations from:

CACI

Demographic Decisions

EuroDirect

Experian

Free University of Berlin

GfK Geomarketing

Pitney Bowes

UK Data Archive

Who should attend?   All users, suppliers and stakeholders in European small area data.

And why?  To understand the strengths and weaknesses of the current European data landscape; to learn how others are using data to segment and target their markets on a European basis; to help create an agenda
for developing the required data sources and geodemographic systems across Europe.

For full programme details – and to book your place for this key 2009 event at the MRS member discount  – visit www.mrs.org.uk/conference .