TRUSTED DATA-DRIVEN WELCOME Fuelling change with data Data-driven social science Their findings are influencing government research is addressing the policies on everything from childcare to pensions. greatest global challenges of our time. Essex: The home of trusted data Our access to an ever-growing number of Data and the infrastructures that support information sources is allowing us to use the collection of large or complex datasets, quantitative research methods to deliver new the storage of those data and their responsible insights and solutions. This data-rich approach use is essential in this journey and we are can help countries around the world address world-leaders. key global issues such as tackling the threat of terrorism, resolving conflict, protecting Pioneers such as Richard G Lipsey, David democratic processes, responding to natural Lockwood and Dorothy Smith have helped disasters, understanding climate change and us build a global reputation for excellence in dealing with mass migration. quantitative social science research and today our researchers are embracing the fourth Improving the world we live in industrial revolution, which offers even greater opportunities to access massive amounts of data to make the world a better place. Social scientists at Essex are seeking to know the world by asking critical questions and challenging Our infrastructure, our research relationships convention. They are changing the world by and global networks and our expertise makes providing compelling answers to these profound Essex a world-leading social science university. issues, with robust evidence to back them up. We are keen to work with like-minded partners Our academics are using cutting-edge across the globe who want to join us in further ESSEX FACTS methodologies and drawing on their extensive developing our work. In 2017 Essex was awarded UK higher education’s most global research networks to uncover prestigious accolade, a inconvenient truths, test and refine dominant theories and develop new areas of knowledge. for world-leading social science research By engaging beyond academia they are providing answers to how we can best govern ourselves, how we understand society, acquire new languages, conduct business and interact Professor Anthony Forster with each other. Vice-Chancellor 4 / 5 OVERVIEW World-class research UK Government research council investments n We were awarded the UK’s first and only Essex quantitative Regius Professorship of Political Science. in Essex n The ESRC Research Centre on n We received a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in social science recognition of research excellence in ISER. Micro-Social Change (MiSoC) promotes multidisciplinary collaboration across the social sciences. n Our political science research has been ranked top in the UK since government assessments of research began in 1986. n The ESRC-funded UK Data Service Essex social science is global in scope and internationalist provides access to the largest collection of social and economic research data in the UK, in orientation. n We are home to the UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science and to the Chief and best practice advice. Scientific Advisor to Essex County Council. Our strengths stem from our nationally-funded research infrastructure n The ESRC-funded Human Rights, Big serving researchers around the world, our concentration of social Data and Technology Project is the UK’s scientists creating critical mass and research power, and the range of our Education first major project exploring human rights in pioneering quantitative research. the digital era. n We have Q-Step Affiliate Status funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the Economic and n Funded by the ESRC, Understanding Social Research Council (ESRC) and Higher Society is one of the world’s largest Education Funding Council for England. household surveys following the lives of people in 40,000 households over time. n The ESRC South East Network for Social Sciences provides doctoral training in n The ESRC Business and Local quantitative social science. Government Data Research Centre provides a framework and support for data Internationally-recognised Pioneering quantitative n We have wide-ranging degrees focusing on owners and researchers. research infrastructure social science interdisciplinary social science. n The ESRC Impact Acceleration Account n We are ranked top 40 for political science delivers impact-focused social science research. n The Institute for Social and Economic n We provide evidence for how lives change Research (ISER) is a globally-recognised through expert production and analysis of and sociology in the QS World University centre for authoritative research informing longitudinal data. Rankings by Subject, 2018. government policies to improve lives. n Essex Summer School in Social Science Data n Essex researchers invented EUROMOD, a Analysis provides pioneering teaching of n The UK Data Archive (UKDA) is a global tax-benefit micro-simulation model which centre of excellence in acquiring, curating calculates the effects of taxes and benefits. advanced statistical methods. and providing access to social science and n Our Big Data and Analytics Summer School humanities data. n We are partners in SOUTHMOD providing a micro-simulation model for countries in Africa provides expert training in data science and data analysis. n Our Institute for Analytics and Data Science and the global south. ESSEX FACTS (IADS) connects our expert scholars with n Our Human Rights and Research Methods businesses and institutions to work on their n Essex sociologists designed the UK’s official Summer School provides training in using Ranked in the UK for political data needs. socio-economic classification used in surveys. science research and 5th for economics quantitative methods. and econometrics (REF 2014) 6 / 7 THE ESSEX APPROACH The story of social science at Essex Our commitment to excellence Professor Jean Blondel helped define our “I was privileged in social science research was distinctive approach to political science and Professor Anthony King made a significant to work with two founded in mid-twentieth-century contribution to election analysis. Taking over of the pioneers of modernism but is more relevant from Oxford, an Essex team led by Professor quantitative social than ever in today’s world. Ivor Crewe brought sophisticated quantitative science at Essex, analysis to the British Election Study for the first David Rose and It is a commitment illustrated by the pioneering time in 1974 and Professor David Sanders was Howard Newby. By researchers who have very often influenced one of our political scientists whose long-range the time I arrived at policy and practice. statistical forecasts confounded pollsters and the Economic and pundits alike, accurately showing how personal Social Research Professor Peter Townsend was a sociologist economic expectations swayed public voting in Council (ESRC) in 2000, Essex was well dedicated to eradicating poverty while 1983 and 1992. on the way to establishing itself as one of Professor Dorothy Smith helped pioneer the leading centres of quantitative social feminist standpoint theory. Professor David Professor Holly Sutherland expanded the research in Europe.” Lockwood’s work on affluence and social class influential EUROMOD tax-benefit micro- Professor Gordon Marshall was described by Professor Fiona Devine, simulation model to cover the whole of the Director of the Leverhulme Trust and writing for The Sociological Review in 2016, European Union. former Chief Executive of the ESRC as “the best of British sociology, that Picture courtesy of Rosie Hallam is theoretically-informed empirical research These are some of the scholars who helped undertaken with imagination and flair”. build the foundations of social science at Essex. The work of our founding professor of “We need more economics, Richard G Lipsey, on links between research in every unemployment and inflation continues to aspect of modern influence public policy today. Professor societies, whether it is Albert Bergstrom’s research in continuous education, old age, or time econometrics laid the foundations economic growth.” for systematic analysis of macroeconomic Professor Sir Albert fluctuations and policy. Professor Sir Tony Sloman, founding Atkinson gave his name to the Atkinson Index Vice-Chancellor, 1963 which measures inequality, while Professor BBC Reith Lectures Tony Shorrocks devised an index of mobility to measure changes in inequality. Our milestones 1967 1979 1989 1991 2001 2009 2012 2013 2016 2017 UK Data Archive is Professor Peter Essex quantitative The British A new national Understanding The UK Data Essex is awarded Professor Maria Queen’s established, initially Townsend’s social scientists Household Panel socio-economic Society starts Service is launched the first and Fasli is named the Anniversary called the Social influential Poverty establish the Survey starts classification invented collecting data only Regius first UNESCO Chair Prize is Science Research in the UK is Institute for Social collecting data by Essex sociologists Professorship of in Analytics and awarded for Council Data Bank published and Economic is used for the first Political Science Data Science social science Research time in the UK census research 8 / 9 THE ESSEX APPROACH Robust quantitative evidence Setting the gold standard for is vital if social scientists are to data curation influence policy and our research infrastructure across the Faculty of Our UK Data Archive (UKDA)