OAC coded survey data available

OAC coded ONS survey data are becoming progressively available through the UK Data Archive.  Variables from the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) are available now and data from the English Housing and the Family Resources Surveys are due to be available later this year.  We have prepared a brief note about access to the data.

Laura Edwards of Local Futures and a member of the OACUG steering group has prepared this brief guide.

Expenditure and Food Survey 2007 Data

The Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) 2007 data are now available through the UK Data Archive but not yet through online access.  The OAC coded 2007 EFS variables are on the household file ‘dvhh’.  The documentation for the 2007 EFS is shown under this link

If you look at Volume F of the user guides, there is a full list of variables.  The OAC variable names are OAC1D, OAC2D and OAC3D.

The two further ONS surveys (English Housing Survey and the Family

Resources Survey) which have been coded to OAC will become available on the Data Archive later this year.

Accessing data through the UK Data Archive

Most major government and academic survey data is available through the UK Data Archive. Users need to be registered to gain access to data.  For many datasets, access is also available through an online data catalogue.   Academic users can access data through their UK federation login (available through HE/FE libraries).   Other users can register for an Athens login.   Details for registering can be found at this link

Charges for access depend on whether the data is to be used for commercial purposes and whether it is accessed online or ordered on a CD.   Commercial conditions are shown here

Information on charges is shown here

For data sets generally at the Archivet here is a catalogue search facility which is accessed by this link