BSA Presidential Event: The Challenge of Big Data

25 October 2013: 09:30-16:45
British Library Conference Centre, London, UK

BSA President, Professor John Holmwood has announced a one-day seminar/workshop on 'The Challenge of Big Data', organised in collaboration with Dr Emma Uprichard, Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick and Dr Abby Day, Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths.

Speakers include: Evelyn Ruppert (Goldsmiths), Ken Benoit (LSE), Emma Uprichard (University of Warwick), Alan Warde (University of Manchester), Abby Day (Goldsmiths), Emer Coleman (dsrptn), Peter Elias (University of Warwick), Paul Martin (University of Sheffield), Paul Taylor (UCL), Andrew Goffey (University of Nottingham).

The Government White Paper on Open Data and the Finch Report on Open Access to Research publications were both published in June 2012, inaugurating a discussion about the changing nature of social science research and its role in the evaluation of policy and practice. Administrative data and its linkage to other large data sets, data mining, and the increased proprietorial interest in large data all pose a fundamental challenge for the social sciences to confront big data with big questions. This joint event of the British Library and the British Sociological Association uses a workshop format to address these issues.

Places for this event are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Lunch and refreshments are included. BSA Members can attend this event for £10. Non-Members of the BSA may also attend this event for a registration fee of £30. 

For more information see http://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/bsa-presidential-event.aspx

 

Funding call: Google Data Analytics

ESRC and Google are making funds available for research projects that demonstrate how publicly accessible online data, analytical and presentational tools can be used to further social and economic research.

The Google Data Analytics Social Science Research call is seeking proposals that showcase how academics can use online data analytical tools in creative and intellectual ways. Projects should:

·         Transmit best practice in use of such tools for social science
·         Show how the tools can be used to test social science theories
·         Suggest possible improvements or innovations to help integrate analytics – and open source data tools in general – into the teaching and learning community

Applicants can apply for a maximum of £125,000 from the ESRC towards the total project costs. The ESRC has allocated a total of £600,000 budget to the call and will fund up to a maximum of six projects.

 

The deadline for proposals is 2 October 2012. Full details are available on the ESRC website.

·         ESRC Google Data Analytics Social Science Research call

Select Committee Inquiry: The Census and Social Science

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

No. 98 (10-12): 9 November 2011

NEW INQUIRY ANNOUNCED: The census and social science

In July 2010 the Government announced that the Census, the official population count carried out by Government every 10 years, would be axed after 2011. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) set up the Beyond 2011 Programme to investigate and assess alternative options for producing the population and socio-demographic data required in England and Wales.

The Science and Technology Committee has agreed to conduct a short inquiry looking at the impact of ending the Census on social science research. It is anticipated that this will feed into the work of the ONS.

Terms of Reference

The Committee seeks written submissions on the following matters:

1. How do social scientists use Census data?
2. What impact will the ending of the Census have on social science research?
3. What alternatives to the Census would provide population and socio-demographic data of equivalent or higher quality?
4. What other existing sources of population and socio-demographic data could be improved upon?

Submitting written evidence

The Committee invites written submissions on these issues by noon on Wednesday 30 November 2011.

Each submission should:

a) be no more than 3,000 words in length;
b) be in Word format with as little use of colour or logos as possible;
c) have numbered paragraphs; and
d) include a declaration of interests.

A copy of the submission should be sent by e-mail to scitechcom@parliament.uk and marked "Census". An additional paper copy should be sent in due course (not by the deadline) to:

The Clerk
Science and Technology Committee
House of Commons
7 Millbank
London SW1P 3JA

Please note that:

·                     ▪ Material already published elsewhere should not form the basis of a submission, but may be referred to within a proposed memorandum, in which case a hard copy of the published work should be included.

·                     ▪ Memoranda submitted must be kept confidential until published by the Committee, unless publication by the person or organisation submitting it is specifically authorised.

·                     ▪ Once submitted, evidence is the property of the Committee. The Committee normally, though not always, chooses to make public the written evidence it receives, by publishing it on the internet (where it will be searchable), by printing it or by making it available through the Parliamentary Archives. If there is any information you believe to be sensitive you should highlight it and explain what harm you believe would result from its disclosure. The Committee will take this into account in deciding whether to publish or further disclose the evidence.

·                     ▪ Select Committees are unable to investigate individual cases.

More information on submitting evidence to Select Committees may be found on the parliamentary website at: http://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/have-your-say/take-part-in-committee-inquiries/witness/

FURTHER INFORMATION

Committee Membership:

Andrew Miller (Labour, Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Chair)
Gavin Barwell (Conservative, Croydon Central)
Gregg McClymont (Labour, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Stephen McPartland (Conservative, Stevenage)
Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative, South Basildon and East Thurrock)
David Morris (Conservative, Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Stephen Mosley (Conservative, City of Chester)
Pamela Nash (Labour, Airdrie and Shotts)
Jonathan Reynolds (Labour/Co-operative, Stalybridge and Hyde)
Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton)
Roger Williams (Liberal Democrat, Brecon and Radnorshire)

Specific Committee Information:  scitechcom@parliament.uk / 020 7219 2793
Media Information: Rebecca Jones  jonesbl@parliament.uk / 020 7219 5693
Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/science
Watch committees and parliamentary debates online:  www.parliamentlive.tv

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474).  Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk

INSPIRE for the social sciences workshop

when: 7 October 2011
where: UK Data Archive, University of Essex, Colchester.

The UK Data Archive and EDINA are hosting a workshop on the European INSPIRE Directive and how this directive matters for the social sciences.

The aim is to bring together academics, data providers and research councils to share what various people are currently doing regarding the INSPIRE Directive - in particular the Annex III data specifications - and to provide a platform to discuss what needs to be done in the near future.

The INSPIRE Directive aims to create an EU spatial data infrastructure to enable the sharing of environmental spatial data among public sector organisations and facilitate public access to spatial information across Europe. This will benefit the development and monitoring of environmental policy and practice in all Member States and across the European Community. Annex III data themes include social sciences domain data on human health and safety, utility and government services, and population distribution and demography.

For further details and to register, please visit http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news-events/events.aspx?id=2951

This workshop is co-ordinated by the JISC-funded geospatial projects U•Geo and GECO.