Launch of new Health Statistics Users' Group website

The Health Statistics User Group (HSUG) has launched a new website: http://www.hsug.org.uk/.

Resources available on the website include presentations from the 20th Anniversary conference which can be found under 'HSUG material'.

The content on the site is accessible to all, but registration is reqiured in order to take active part in discussions, post comments and initiate discussion threads. Registering will enable you to receive regular updates about new material on the site.

The new site has been developed in partnership with the Royal Statistical Society in its development of StatsUserNet  <http://www.statsusernet.org.uk/> as a way of improving user participation in official statistics. Being part of StatsUserNet allows you to look at, and become involved in, discussions not only on health statistics but also related statistical areas such as Census and Well-being.

The site also gives access to all the material that were available on the old site.

The Changing Shape of UK Business: An event to promote the use and understanding of business statistics

As part of the Office for National Statistics' drive to promote the use and understanding of business statistics, the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are jointly coordinating an event:
The Changing Shape of UK Business

Understanding the structure, content and performance of UK business

The event is an opportunity producers of business statistics, to engage with a wide range of stakeholders. The event will be opened by Andrew Dilnot CBE, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, and former Director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies. It will feature a range of talks from users, producers and suppliers of business statistics, not just from central government and the Devolved Administrations, but also local government, business representatives and researchers. The event will also include a  session to discuss the priorities for users and producers of business statistics over the next few years.

The objectives of the event are to:

• share what we know about the structure, content and performance of UK business;
• raise awareness of the importance and coverage of our statistics;
• hear from users about the range of uses to which our statistics are put; and
• discuss future plans and priorities with a range of users.

Venue and date

The all-day event will take place at the St Giles Hotel, central London, on Tuesday 6 November 2012.

Presentations

The organisers are hoping to bring together a collection of speakers from a range of backgrounds in order to share and learn from one another's experiences of using business statistics in different contexts.

Therefore they are calling for presentations on users experiences using business statistics  - for example, what statistics you use, how you use them, and what decisions or research are informed by them. Presentation slots will be 20 minutes, which will include some time for questions, and the organisers are more than happy to discuss proposed talks.

The deadline for submission of abstracts is Tuesday 11 September 2012, and the deadline to receive presentations will be Tuesday 23 October 2012. Please send abstracts to Katy Nicholls, katy.nicholls@ons.gsi.gov.uk .

Registration

Please visit event web page to download the registration form and to find more information on the agenda and logistical arrangements: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/media-centre/events/the-changing-shape-of-uk-businesses/index.html.

The deadline for registration is Friday 12 October 2012. There will be no charge for attendees at this event, but please note that numbers are limited.

How to set up and run a data service

Title: How to set up and run a data service: the challenges of social science data Date: 8-9 November 2012
Location: UK Data Archive, University of Essex, Colchester

Applications are now being accepted for this once-a-year opportunity to go behind the scenes at the UK Data Archive and learn first hand from its social science data specialists. This year's event is scheduled for 8-9 November 2012.

Over one and a half days participants will learn about the strategies and practices used in the Archive's daily work with a focus on storing and sharing social science data, including microdata, aggregate, qualitative and historical data. Activities range from presentations to a hands on workshop on research data management to small-group discussions on key specialist areas. Participants will also be invited to tour the Archive's newly built secure data centre, a £2.4 million scalable facility designed to expand access and computational capability for sensitive and disclosive data.

Founded at the University of Essex in 1967, the Archive has 45 years' experience in selecting, ingesting, curating and providing access to data. We are a designated Place of Deposit for The National Archives and are internationally acknowledged experts in this field.

In addition, the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) will be supporting a few fully funded scholarships to attend this workshop.

For the complete programme and details on fees and application procedures see http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news-events/events.aspx?id=3295

Report on Academic Data Management and Curation Practices and Needs: The Problem of Data

Two new reports on research funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation have been published by CLIR (Council on Library and Information Resources)

The Problem of Data: Data Management and Curation Practices Among University Researchers, by Lori Jahnke and Andrew Asher,

and

Data Curation Education: A Snapshot, by Spencer Keralis

Jahnke and Asher explore workflows and methodologies at a variety of academic data curation sites, and Keralis delves into the academic milieu of library and information schools that offer instruction in data curation. Their conclusions point to the urgent need for a reliable and increasingly sophisticated professional cohort to support data-intensive research in our colleges, universities, and research centers.

See: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub154