British Participation in the International Social Survey Programme, 2013-2015

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The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) is one of the most important attempts to undertake cross-national survey research that currently exists. 48 countries currently participate, covering all five of the inhabited continents across the world. Each year, member countries field an agreed module of 60 questions on a particular topic, usually as part of an existing random probability survey. The data from these studies, along with a set of prescribed socio-demographic background variables, is then deposited in an agreed format with the ISSP data archive. A wide range of different modules have been fielded since the project began in 1985, covering topics such as social inequality, religion, and the role of government. Topics are chosen at an annual plenary meeting by attending members. They are revisited periodically, with a number having now been covered three or four times. As a result, ISSP data can be used both to examine differences between countries at a particular point in time and to compare differences in trends over time.A combined data set containing data for all countries in which a module has been fielded is made publicly available to the research community approximately two years after the module fieldwork. ISSP data are widely used; worldwide, over 200 publications using ISSP data are recorded each year. In Britain alone, there have been over 400 publications using ISSP data since the programme began, not far short of 10% of the worldwide total.Since ISSP began in 1985, Britain's participation has taken place by including the ISSP module on a self-completion supplement that forms part of the British Social Attitudes survey, an annual, high quality independent survey conducted by NatCen. This is a highly cost effective way of fielding the module, as only the marginal costs of asking the ISSP questions have to be covered.Until 2002, British participation was primarily funded through the core funding given to the Centre for Research into Elections and Social Trends, an ESRC Research Centre. Since 2004 it has been funded as a research resource by the ESRC Resources Board, and this application proposes that this arrangement should continue for a further three years. ISSP modules will cover three topics during this period: national identity (2013), citizenship (2014) and work orientations (2015):- The national identity module was previously fielded in 1995 and 2003. Its repetition will provide valuable data allowing us to track how views about issues such as national pride and identity have changed over a period which in many countries has been marked by considerable economic difficulty, changing migration patterns and political turmoil. - The 2014 module on citizenship was fielded in 2004, and will include questions about democracy, political participation and political efficacy, and trust towards politicians. - The 2015 module on work orientations (another repeat module) will allow us to examine changing experiences of work, including work patterns and work-life balance, and workplace relationships. This will provide valuable information about how recession has affected people's attitudes towards, and commitment to, work.A range of dissemination activities promoting the use of ISSP data in Britain are proposed, and at least one chapter a year based on ISSP data will appear in the annual British Social Attitudes reports.