Connecting Society: How everyday data can shape our lives

About Connecting Society: How everyday data can shape our lives

Ever wondered what happens to all the data collected about you by government and public services? Whenever you sit a school exam, visit your GP, go to court, or pay tax, a wealth of information is created to help these services run. But how is this data used, and could it actually improve your life? Connecting Society explores the fascinating world of administrative data. Through conversations with experts, we reveal how linking data and making it available for research can uncover solutions to real-world, interconnected challenges - from improving health outcomes to tackling inequality and more. Join our hosts, Mark Green, Professor of Health Geography at the University of Liverpool and ADR UK Ambassador, and Shayda Kashef, Senior Public Engagement Manager at ADR UK, to discover how the data shaping your life could also help shape the future. Connecting Society is presented by Shayda Kashef and Mark Green, our producers are Eleanor Collard, Holly Greenland, Laura Mulvey and Shayda Kashef. This podcast is brought to you by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), a partnership transforming public sector data into research insights and policy evidence to improve lives. We are an investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.

Publisher

ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK)

Category

education · government · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Apr 2023

Latest episode

24 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Sept 2026

   What is the census and why does it matter?

   Every ten years, millions of people in England and Wales complete the Census. But why does it matter? Who uses the data, and how does it shape policy decisions on healthcare, education, and local services? In this episode of the Connecting Society podcast, Mark Green talks to Jennet Woolford from the Office for National Statistics about what the Census is, why it has been run for over 200 years, and how Census 2031 is being planned. Discover how the Census uses administrative data, what surp...

2. 

   27 Aug 2026

   How can we find the story in the data?

   From elections and economic trends to global crises and social change, we are surrounded by data. But numbers alone do not always tell the full story. The way information is investigated, visualised and communicated can shape how we understand the world around us – what we notice, what we remember, and how we decide what to do next. In this episode, we’ll explore the world of data visualisation and storytelling with Alan Smith OBE, Head of Visual and Data Journalism at the Financial Ti...

3. 

   30 Jul 2026

   Live Episode: Pint of Science part two - Is stabbing someone with a fork "knife crime"? What administrative data reveals about violence in the UK

   A fork used as a weapon. Scissors used to cut off someone's hair without consent. A knife nobody actually sees. Criminologist Professor Iain Brennan puts this Pint of Science audience through a live quiz, revealing that there's no single legal definition of "knife crime". What counts depends entirely on how the government chooses to measure it. Iain, Professor of Criminology at the University of Hull, joins hosts Shayda Kashef-Tomlins and Mark Green to share findings from his ADR UK-backed re...

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Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

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