National Centre for Social Research
Summary
National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is the UK’s leading independent social research agency. The centre is not-for-profit and focused entirely on delivering high-quality social research that can improve people’s lives.
NatCen designs and undertakes quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research, secondary analysis, evaluation and methodological research for customers spanning central government, the third sector, universities and local government.
The centre carries out many of the UK’s most highly regarded surveys, including British Social Attitudes and the Health Survey for England. Through its research methods training activities, NatCen supports and encourages the development of communities of practice.
Key contact
- Debbie Collins
- Senior Research Director, National Centre for Social Research
- Email: natcenlearning@natcen.ac.uk
Research interests
- Questionnaire design
- Pretesting
- Survey design
- Survey methodology
- Teaching social research methods.
Selected publications
- Collins, D. (2021). The NCRM quick start guide: Planning to teach social research methods online - guiding principles. Full text
- d’Ardenne, J. and Collins, D. (2020). Combining Evaluation Methods – What does it mean when the data appear to conflict? In P. Beatty, D. Collins, L. Kaye, J. Padilla, G. Willis, and A. Wilmot (Eds). Advances in Questionnaire Design, Development, Evaluation and Testing (pp. 91-116). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
- Collins, D., Wardle, H., (2019). Longitudinal Study of Gambling: consultation and scoping review. The Gambling Commission. Full text
- Collins D., Toomse-Smith, T., Comanaru, R., Fenton, C., Gloster, R., Silcock, D., Dodd, T. (2019). Planning and preparing for later life: A social survey feasibility study. DWP. Full text