Data linkage is the activity of bringing together separate data sources by identifying and matching the same entity in each and then bringing those different sources of information together into a single dataset.
For Understanding Society, that means linking external data – collected by other organisations for purposes unrelated to the Study – to the information that we collect as part of the annual interview.
Linkage usually refers to matching records held about an individual. However, we also link to external data at household-level, institution-level and area-level.
Every linked dataset that we make available is de-identified and released at the appropriate access level. Where the linkage is at the individual-level, records are matched only where a Study participant has given their informed consent.
For an overview of the data linkage process, see our Study participant information sheet.
Webinar: introduction to data linkage
If you would like to propose a data linkage that we are not already pursuing, let us know.