Cens-able: Improving and empowering census data research opportunities in Scotland
Collaborating with our delivery partners, we will share our knowledge and best practice to improve and empower census-linked products for the 2022 Scottish census.
Research Focus
We aim to facilitate the creation of census-linked products focusing around the 2022 Scottish census. The three products we will work on are:
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Improving the Equalities Protected Characteristics data
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Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) to census linkage (ASHE-census)
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A synthetic dataset for ASHE-census
These census-linked products may be some of the first to be created and accessed by researchers under the new "ready and reuse" model via Research Data Scotland's Researcher Access Service (RAS) in Scotland.
Data Sources
Using the data mentioned above, we will achieve our aims by completing 4 work packages:
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Promoting and maximising user engagement and census-linked data value
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Understanding the research potential of the Equalities Protected Characteristics Research Dataset*
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Empowering a cutting-edge census-linked product (ASHE-census) with the potential to improve our understanding of Scotland's workforce and start informing a future business spine
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Developing a synthetic dataset for training and wider use - creating a synthetic dataset for ASHE-census linkage
*Please note that at present, the Equalities and Protected Characteristics Dataset is only available for access requests to deliver a proof of concept of the utility of the dataset
Research Team
Lee Williamson (SCADR), Eleanor Mitchell (RDS), Mark Sawyer (EPCC), eDRIS and Carmen Amador (NRS).
All collaborators are leading the changes to Scotland's data linkage landscape, moving from "create and destroy" to "ready and reuse" model.
We will accelerate these census-linked products into the Scottish National Safe Haven, using the recently launched Researcher Access Service.
This project runs until Autumn 2026 and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
Training events
We will promote the census-linked products and disseminate knowledge to researchers on the system transformation happening in Scotland through our planned interactive training events. Details to follow.
