Finn Dymond-Green, Director of Impact at the UK Data Service, celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Data Impact blog!
2025 marks 10 years since the launch of the UK Data Service’s Data Impact blog. Our then Director of Impact, Dr Victoria Moody launched the blog with the aim that it would be a:
“hub for researchers, students, communities, policy-makers, government and anyone interested in maximising the impact of social, population and economic data in research and policy.
We hope to encourage debate, share best practice and keep the data impact community up to date with news, events and the latest data-driven impactful research and policy making”
That aim was further stated by the then Director of the UK Data Service, Professor Matthew Woollard (who was recently awarded an OBE for services to data science and higher education):
“the main purpose of this blog is to demonstrate the impact and benefit of the Service. It will include posts on both the use and the consequences of use of data of which we are the custodians, the impact of the Service itself in widening access to data and will act as a forum where we can share our experience and promote best practice in data service infrastructure.”
Ten years on, I’m proud to say that the Data Impact blog very much continues to meet these aims, bringing a wide range of contributors together in almost 500 blog posts to date. I was proud to be editor of the blog from 2018 through to late 2022 and it’s in great hands with James Lockwood, our Research Impact and Engagement Manager.
During 2025, we’ll be looking back over the past ten years of developments in data impact and data policy, but – just as importantly – we’ll be looking forward. In an age when there are exciting opportunities for the use of data (and I really can’t avoid mentioning that AI – – seems bound to be featured) but also one where data and facts are used in less than ideal ways, the Data Impact blog will continue to be a place where we can share ideas and innovation, discuss developments and ensure that the impact of data is kept firmly in the public eye.
A small selection of my favourite posts from the Data Impact blog
5 things that official inflation figures don’t tell you about the minimum cost of living
We’ve since worked with Professor Donald Hirsch on our 2024 Poverty in Data event, but even back in 2018 we were facilitating discussion of how inflation impacts people. Donald framed this work in the context of his work with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on creating the Minimum Income Standard, a widely recognised measure of people’s need to do more than just survive.
Merit or ‘fit’? The class ceiling: social mobility and why it pays to be privileged
Using the ONS Labour Force Survey, Daniel Laurison and Sam Friedman uncovered what they termed the ‘class ceiling’ – an innovative approach to social mobility research. They identified several factors which made it harder for young people from working class backgrounds to be able to enter job sectors including accountancy, creative industries and architecture.
Full Fact, fact checking and the UK Data Service
Full Fact is a well-known and trusted fact-checking organisation in the UK. At a time when ‘fake news’ is often used to influence people, through dubious presentation of facts and data, it’s important to know that organisations such as Full Fact exist – and we’re delighted they make use of the UK Data Service to support this process.
Public Perceptions of ‘Public Good’ Use of Data for Research and Statistics
Discussions around value, impact, and public benefit or public good are key to the existence of the Data Impact blog. Dr Mary Cowan (Office for Statistics Regulation) and Shayda Kashef (Administrative Data Research UK) engaged in public dialogue sessions to better understand what people actually perceive as ‘public good’.
How to write good research questions: What even is a research question?
We’re always keen to encourage debate and discussion on the Data Impact blog – here we welcome Dr Jools Kasmire to tackle a fundamental question about how we approach research.
Some of the themes and series we have explored over the past decade
Data Impact Fellows
Working with our Data Impact Fellows over the years, it’s been a privilege to see how these Early Career Researchers have developed their ideas of impact and often been the drivers for change. In this post, David Kingman from our 2019 cohort shared the excitement and achievement of giving oral evidence to the House of Lords.
I encourage you to explore the rich of blog posts shared by our Data Impact Fellows (if you’re interested in a particular Fellow once you’ve read a post by them, click on their name at the bottom of the post).
Keep an eye out for the announcement of our new cohort which will be coming out via the blog next week!
Data Impact events
We have run several data impact events during the past decade. Our two most recent have been Identity in Data: Who counts? Visibility, voice and culture in data collection and use in 2021 and last year’s three day Poverty in Data event.
Covid-19
It would be remiss of me to look back over the period and ignore the momentous effects the Covid-19 pandemic had on us all. Two posts I’ve selected from the period are Visualising high risk areas for Covid-19 mortality and Covid-19: Social surveys are now more important than ever. We continue to add posts around research and issues that have arisen from Covid.
UK Census
We have a whole series of posts around the censuses undertaken in the UK during 2021 and 2022 and their outputs as they are released. One of my favourite blog post titles ever is Census 2021 Outputs: Hiding an elephant amongst all the hippopotamuses. Professor David Martin, formerly one of the UK Data service’s deputy directors, wrote a fascinating piece on the possible future of UK censuses.
And finally…
As the Data Impact blog reaches its tenth birthday, we’re also looking forward to the future of data impact and data policy. It’s clear that various forms of machine learning and artificial intelligence will continue to be important, but I wonder what else the next years might bring in developments for data and the impact it can lead to. Exciting times!
If you’d like to contribute to the Data Impact blog, get in touch with James, he’d love to hear from you!