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Welcome to Understanding Society – the largest study of its kind in the world

This site is dedicated to everyone who has been invited to take part in the study and we hope it contains all the information you need to know. But if you have any comments or queries please do let us know. We would be very happy to hear from you. You can find background information on how the survey works and why it is so important that people like you take part. You also get a sneak preview of some of our findings, meaning that whatever we find out, you are the first to know about it.

New to Understanding Society?

If you are visiting this website for the first time, you have probably received an invitation to take part in the study. If that’s the case, we hope you will have a look at some of the background information about the survey and that it will encourage you to become a participant. If you do decide to take part, a little further down the line you will receive a letter inviting you to register with us and use this site to update your details.

Already a Participant?

If you have already been interviewed for the study, then you may have received an invitation to register with this website so that you can easily update your details online. This will also help us keep you up to date with everything you need to know about the survey in the future.

You’re one of a kind

You’re one in 100,000 – the number of people specially chosen to take part in the study. You’re also one of a kind, and without you the study will be missing an important element. Understanding Society is a study that will reveal amazing and important things about who we are and how we live.

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What is it?

Understanding Society is the biggest study of its kind in the world – and we’d very much like you and the people you live with to be involved. By spending just a short time answering questions about your experiences and opinions, you will help us paint a unique picture of life in the UK and how it’s changing.

What’s it for?

The information from the survey will help us learn more abut each other, and will help people who analyse and design policies to make better decisions about how to improve everyone’s lives.

Why me?

You and the people you live with were chosen from a scientifically selected sample of addresses, and your place in the survey can’t be taken by anyone else. We want to hear your point of view – without it, the survey will be missing an important element. Your views will represent those of many thousands of people living in your area and across the country. So we do hope you will agree to take part as you are unique and irreplaceable and vital to the success of the study.