Opinions (Omnibus) Survey
Encyclopedia
The Omnibus Survey, now called the Opinions Survey, is a survey
conducted monthly by the Office for National Statistics
(ONS) in Great Britain
in order to collect information for different government departments as well as non-profit organisations in the academic and voluntary sector.
Since 2004, the survey consists of two different parts: the core questions concerning demographic information which are the same every month and non-core questions which cover different topics. Particular topics can be added for one month or longer and there are now over 300 questions modules. These modules cover issues such as contraception, tobacco consumption, changes to family income, unused medicines, internet access, etc..
Due to increased demand for the data collected, priority has been given to government departments and agencies relevant for policy-making purposes, though the data is also still available to non-profit organisations . In January 2008, the Opinions (Omnibus) Survey became part of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS) and also changed its name to the Opinions Survey.
member aged 15 and older whereas the varying module questions are only answered by one selected person.
(ESDS) website.
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
conducted monthly by the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
(ONS) in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in order to collect information for different government departments as well as non-profit organisations in the academic and voluntary sector.
History
The Opinions (Omnibus) Survey was first set up in 1990 by the Office for National Statistics as a source of reliable, quick and cost-effective information on topics which are generally too brief to be addressed in a separate survey.Since 2004, the survey consists of two different parts: the core questions concerning demographic information which are the same every month and non-core questions which cover different topics. Particular topics can be added for one month or longer and there are now over 300 questions modules. These modules cover issues such as contraception, tobacco consumption, changes to family income, unused medicines, internet access, etc..
Due to increased demand for the data collected, priority has been given to government departments and agencies relevant for policy-making purposes, though the data is also still available to non-profit organisations . In January 2008, the Opinions (Omnibus) Survey became part of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS) and also changed its name to the Opinions Survey.
Methodology and scope
The survey is a repeated, cross-sectional study which is conducted 12 times a year by face-to-face interviews, using a sample of about 1,800 adults per survey. Each survey period lasts 14 weeks overall, including a four-week long testing period and five weeks of evaluation at the end. The core questions are to be answered by all householdHousehold
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
member aged 15 and older whereas the varying module questions are only answered by one selected person.
Survey results
The Opinions (Omnibus) survey allows the user to obtain results quickly and it can measure the efficacy of publicity campaigns. It can also give an indicator for public awareness of new policies and the survey is useful for question testing and piloting.Re-using the data
Registered users can obtain Omnibus data from the Economic and Social Data ServiceEconomic and Social Data Service
The Economic and Social Data Service is a national data archiving and dissemination service that was founded in January 2003. It is funded jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Joint Information Systems Committee ....
(ESDS) website.