Research outcomes

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and data owners are required to monitor and evaluate use of data they provide and their data services. As a secure data user, you can help us gather evidence to feed into main metrics and show examples of important policy-relevant work. In turn, we can help you to accelerate the impact of your work.

Here is some advice on how to correctly cite secure data you use, and how to tell us about your research outcomes.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) are now available for the Secure Research Service (SRS) Metadata Catalogue. You can add the DOI to your data citation in any published work from your research – from published papers and reports to pieces in the media, social media and wider internet. Those writing about or promoting data can also cite the DOI, so that mentions can be picked up for impact tracking.

Help on using our DOIs and catalogue can be found in Frequently Asked Questions.

As a Secure Research Service (SRS) researcher, you have a responsibility to "routinely engage core stakeholders on the findings of the research drawn from these data and ensure that research findings are made openly available to the public". This forms part of the Research Code of Practice and Accreditation Criteria for the Digital Economy Act (2017) and agreements with the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Letting us know where we can find your published outputs contributes to the important principle of transparency and report impact from use of the data we provide. It also enables us to further communicate your work. We encourage you to collaborate with us to write and publish an impact case study. These case studies are published and promoted on the Administrative Data Research UK's (ADR UK's) website.

We provide a simple Reporting Outputs form to help you let us know about the great work that you have published.

Creating the Virus Watch dataset 

Research summary 

Virus Watch was a major coronavirus (COVID-19) community cohort study with 60,000 participants across England and Wales. It ran from 2020 to 2025. It informed UK public health policy, including booster vaccine strategies, and was cited in the COVID-19 Inquiry for highlighting health inequalities. The study examined virus transmission, symptoms, and behaviours, offering vital insights into how COVID-19 spread in households and communities, helping shape more effective and equitable public health responses.

Research impact 

The Virus Watch dataset has generated over 30 peer-reviewed publications and received broad media attention. It has helped validate findings from other studies by offering a general community comparison. It has also informed UK policy bodies, including the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, supporting decisions like the COVID-19 booster rollout.

Internationally, Virus Watch research features in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Genomics and Precision Health Knowledge database. It has also been cited by Australia’s Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in support of mRNA booster recommendations.

In the UK, Virus Watch data were submitted to the COVID-19 Inquiry. Its collaboration with the Race Equality Foundation and Doctors of the World highlighted the unequal impact of the pandemic on marginalised communities, reinforcing the importance of equitable public health strategies.

Read the full case study on the ADR UK website

How do firms cope with economic shocks in real time?

Research summary

Policymakers often need to respond quickly to unexpected shocks, such as financial crises, international emergencies or natural disasters, but traditional data collection methods and research can take months or years. This project builds a new toolbox, consisting of high-frequency linked microdata, to estimate firm responses to shocks in near real-time. It thereby enables policymakers to rapidly evaluate and adjust economic policy.

The research team has discussed their findings with a number of government departments and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Research impact

Clean growth and decarbonising the economy form part of the government's five missions. This research provides an evidence base for designing better policies to support the economy on the path to net zero. More broadly, it provides a blueprint for how to carry out high-quality real-time evaluation of economic shocks. 

The researchers hosted a panel at the Royal Economic Society to discuss this research with experts from the Bank of England, the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This research has been further discussed with the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury. 

Read the full case study on the ADR UK website

Changes in school performance and involvement in the criminal justice system

Research summary 

This project used secure education and justice data to explore changes in school performance and involvement in the criminal justice system. Findings suggest that pupils showing relative declines in their school performance throughout their school career were more likely to be convicted or cautioned for criminal offences during young adulthood. Changes in school performance as early as primary school could help to identify pupils who are struggling and in need of additional support. 

Research impact

These findings have been shared with the Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ). They informed the creation of a short animated video to raise awareness, understanding, and support for administrative data research.

Read the full case study on the ADR UK Website

The impact of higher education on labour market earnings

Research summary 

This research project carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), co-funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), used linked administrative data to estimate the returns on higher education for students and the taxpayer. The findings showed notable variation on returns between subjects, with law, economics and medicine graduates demonstrating greater lifetime returns than their peers who studied languages or creative arts. The research also reported variations in earnings growth between men and women.

Research impact 

The research has been presented to policymakers and has been widely cited by government, including within a: 

• report from the Social Mobility Commission 

• review of post-18 years education 

• white paper on spreading opportunity more equally across the UK

The research used datasets for this project accessed on the DfE's secure servers, but also available from the ONS Secure Research Service. 

• Department for Education; HM Revenue and Customs; Department for Work and Pensions; Higher Education Statistics Agency, released 1 November 2023, ONS SRS Metadata Catalogue, dataset, Longitudinal Education Outcomes SRS Iteration 1.1 Standard Extract - England

• Office for National Statistics. (2024). Labour Force Survey. UK Data Service. SN: 2000026 

Read the full case study on the ADR UK website

If you have any questions or would like to collaborate with us in sharing your research outcomes using data owned or managed by the Office for National Statistics, please contact IDS.Impact@ons.gov.uk.