The Communities & Attitudes Study
Information about taking part in the survey
The Community and Attitudes Study aims to explore people’s attitudes to key social issues, community networks, and views on science and experts.
The survey will ask you about a range of topics, such as your political values, trust of scientists, and the types of people you are regularly in contact with.
You have been invited to take part by somebody knows who you, such as a friend, family member or someone you live with, who should have provided you with a code to access the survey. Taking part is voluntary, but by doing so you’ll be ensuring that your views and experiences and those of people like you are represented.
Click on the survey link if you have been invited to take part in the survey.
As a thank you for your time, we will send a £5 voucher to you, and the person who invited you.
If you are part of the NatCen Opinion Panel, please visit the Panel website for further information.
Frequently asked questions
How do I take part?
It’s easy to take part online, and will only take around 15 minutes of your time. Simply go to survey.natcen.ac.uk/CAS and enter the access codes provided by the person who invited you.
What will taking part involve?
You will be asked questions about your political attitudes, which political parties you feel connected to, how much you trust scientists, and the types of people you are regularly in contact with. To help with analysis, you will also be asked to provide some personal information, such as your age and ethnicity.
Why have I been invited to take part?
For this study we are particularly interested in the views and experiences of people aged 18 to 24 living in the UK. You will have been invited to take part by somebody who knows you and thought you would be eligible to take part.
Why should I take part?
By taking part, you will be helping us to better understand the attitudes and communities of people in the UK today. We rely on your help to ensure that the opinions and views of people like you are represented. It doesn’t matter what your opinions are – we are interested in what you have to say.
Do I have to answer all the questions?
Taking part is voluntary and you do not have to answer any questions you don’t want to. You can skip a question without giving an answer and move to the next one. You can stop the survey at any time.
Will I receive a voucher for taking part?
Yes, both you, and the person who invited you, will be eligible to receive a £5 shopping voucher as a thank you for taking part. You can spend these at a range of high street shops including Argos, Boots and TK Maxx.
Who is carrying out the research?
This research is being carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), Britain’s largest independent not-for-profit social research organisation. These questions are being asked in collaboration with the University of Southampton and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Can I take part if I can’t complete the online survey?
At the moment, the Communities and Attitudes Survey is only available to be completed online. If you have any queries about how the complete the online survey, such as logging in, please email CommunityAttitudes@natcen.ac.uk or phone us free on 0800 652 4569.
Contact us
To find out more about the study, please email CommunityAttitudes@natcen.ac.uk or phone us free on 0800 652 4569.
Privacy notice
Who is collecting my data?
The Communities and Attitudes Study is being collected by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) in collaboration with the University of Southampton. The study is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
NatCen is Britain’s largest independent social research agency. For over 50 years, we have been working with charities, universities and government to find out what people really think about the big issues. NatCen is independent of all government departments and political parties.
What if I don’t want to take part?
You are under no obligation to take part in this study – taking part is your choice.
What data is being collected?
For the Communities and Attitudes Study, we would like you to tell us about your attitudes towards politics and science, and the types of people you are regularly in contact with. To help with analysis, we ask for some information classed as sensitive personal data, such as ethnicity. Participation is entirely voluntary, and you can skip individual questions if you prefer.
Your data will also be used to help us administer the survey. For example, we collect information such as your contact details to send you a shopping voucher and the type of device with which you access our questionnaires online to make sure the questions appear correctly.
What will you do with the information I give?
The information you provide will be used for research purposes only. This may include contacting you about the study – for example to send you your thank-you voucher. Most of the results will appear as percentages and statistics – we will not identify your individual opinion in the results.
Pseudonymised data (without identifying details such as your name, address or date of birth) may be shared and archived for use by researchers.
Will my contact information be shared with anyone else?
We will never share your contact details with third parties, including government, charities or commercial companies for marketing purposes. If there was a legitimate research purpose for sharing contact details or identifiable information, we would only do so with your direct permission.
How will you keep my data safe?
All the information collected through the survey is held in accordance with current data protection legislation (GDPR). All information you provide to us is stored on secure servers. We use strict procedures and security features to prevent unauthorised access. NatCen holds ISO and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications.
How long will the information I give be held?
All of your personal details will be held by data processors until no longer required for research purposes, in accordance with current data protection legislation (GDPR). The pseudonymised datasets will be kept indefinitely, as they will continue to be useful for researchers and policy makers.
NatCen and the University of Southampton will be joint “Data Controllers” for data collected as part of the study and we process your information for research purposes on the basis of ‘Legitimate Interest’. We process your special category data (for example your ethnicity, if you provide it) under the condition of ‘Archiving, research and statistics’.
Will I have access to my data?
If you have recently completed a questionnaire for us and subsequently change your mind about taking part or about any of the answers you provided, we’ll always do our best to amend or delete your data. However, because your data are collected for research and statistical purposes, you do not have the right to access it or request for it to be amended.
Any questions?
If you have any questions, please e-mail CommunityAttitudes@natcen.ac.uk or phone us free on 0800 652 4569.
You can also contact the NatCen Data Protection Officer by email: dpo@natcen.ac.uk.
If you wish to lodge a complaint you can email CommunityAttitudes@natcen.ac.uk or call FreePhone 0800 652 4569.
You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office.