Title: NatCen & ScotCen
Course: UGQuants (SSPS) > Section: Beyond data collection and analysis

NatCen & ScotCen

NatCen Social Research is the largest independent social research centre in Britain of which ScotCen is the Scottish branch. Both are registered charities and as non-profit organisations declare themselves to be independent of commercial and political agendas. The key aims of both organisations are the advancement of education through research into the social, political and economic sciences and public dissemination of the results of such research.

Both NatCen and ScotCen carry out research in all areas of social policy including crime, education, employment, health, travel, social attitudes and families. Both centres design, manage and run a number of high profile surveys including, in the case of NatCen, the Understanding Society Survey, the Health Survey for England and the European Social Survey and, in the case of ScotCen, the Growing Up in Scotland Study, the Scottish Health Survey and the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey.

NatCen and ScotCen conduct research for a wide range of bodies including government departments and agencies, local authorities, universities, research councils, charities and private sector organisations. Specific examples of such clients include; HMRC, BBC, the Medical Research Council, Halifax, the Wellcome Trust and Shelter.