UK Daily Life: Frequently asked questions

What is the UK Daily Life study?

UK Daily Life is a UK-wide study which aims to find out how people spend their time. This year the study is being conducted with members of the NatCen Panel. To find out more about this study visit: natcen.ac.uk/UKDailyLife, or to find out more about the NatCen Panel, visit: natcen.ac.uk/Panel.

What is the Centre for Time Use Research (CTUR)?

The Centre for Time Use Research (CTUR) is an internationally recognised Research Centre based at University College London (UCL) whose researchers specialise in the collection and analysis of time use diary data. CTUR investigate issues about daily life, such as paid work patterns, work-life balance, family and gender relationships, unpaid work, ageing and well-being. To find out more visit timeuse.org.

What will taking part in the UK Daily Life study involve?

As a member of the NatCen Panel you have been invited to take part in the UK Daily Life study. We would like you to tell us what you did on two specific days. As well as what you have done, we would like to know, for example, how long these activities took, who you did them with and how much you enjoyed them. We will also ask some questions about you, so we can understand how different types of people spend their time. 

Do I have to take part?

Taking part is your choice. If you would rather not take part in this study, simply ignore our messages or let us know so that we won’t send you any reminders. If you would like to leave the NatCen Panel, please get in touch so we can update your records. 

Will I receive a voucher for taking part?

You will receive a 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. 

What will you do with the information I give?

The information you give will be used for research purposes only. The survey responses you provide will be shared with approved (government) organisations. We will not pass on your contact details to CTUR or any other approved (government) organisations, and they will not be able to identify you. The results will appear as anonymised statistics and we will not identify your individual details without seeking your permission. We will analyse your answers together with answers you gave to previous questionnaires to help us to understand things like how different people spend their time and enjoy their daily lives. 

How do you safeguard my privacy?

All your information will be held until no longer required for the above purposes in accordance with current data protection legislation. Under this legislation, NatCen is the ‘Data Controller’ for your contact details, and CTUR is the ‘Data Controller’ for the anonymised survey data, with NatCen and Dynata – the company hosting the diary tool – acting as ‘Data Processors’ on behalf of CTUR. CTUR will hold your survey information on the basis of ‘Public Task’. If you want to learn more, you can read our data protection policy at natcen.ac.uk/UKDailyLife-privacy. 

Can I request access to my data?

Because your data is collected only for research and statistical purposes, you will not be able to access it or request for it to be amended. For more information about your data and your rights, you can contact the NatCen Data Protection Officer by email: dpo@natcen.ac.uk.

How did you get my contact details?

You previously took part in a NatCen study such as the British or Scottish Social Attitudes survey, or the Consumer Protection Study and were asked if it would be okay to contact you about research in the future. At the time you provided us with some contact details.

How can I contact you?

To get in touch you can email us at panel@natcen.ac.uk or call us on 0800 652 0401.