SAGE POLICY FORUM

Please note that the quality of some audio is impaired due to difficulties experienced with the initial recording

Programme
Chair: Baroness Onora O’Neill, CBE, FBA (University of Cambridge)

09.30 Registration and refreshments – Mall Room, 1st floor
10.00 Introduction to the Day
Baroness O’Neill

10.10 Punching Our Weight? The Wilson Report, One Year On

• What has happened since September 2008?
• What has been the impact of the Credit Crunch on social research?
• What are the continuing and new challenges we face?

• Sir Alan Wilson FBA, FRS (University College London, report’s author) [20MB mp3]
• Accompanying presentation

Respondent:

• Professor Paul Wiles (Government Chief Social Scientist)
• Questions and discussion

10.50 Refreshments

11.10 A Better Quality of Life?

• What is the value of Social Research and which areas of social research can contribute most to a better quality of life?
• These questions will be addressed by examining three case studies in areas such as family policy, education and criminology.

• Polly Toynbee (The Guardian, Chair) [18MB mp3]
• Professor Sir Michael Rutter, FRS, F Med Sci, HonFBA (King’s College, London), Accompanying presentation
• Discussion between Polly Toynbee and Sir Professor Michael Rutter [5MB mp3]

Respondents

• Professor Harvey Goldstein FBA (University of Bristol) [15MB mp3] Accompanying presentation
• Discussion between Poly Toynbee and Professor Harvey Goldstein [5MB mp3]
• Professor Mike Hough (Institute for Criminal Policy Research, King’s College, London) [9MB mp3] Accompanying presentation

• Questions and discussion of Better Quality of Life session

12.30 Lunch – Mall Room, 1st floor

13.45 Research Design and Quality

• What does high quality research look like?
• What are the critical factors required to support the best quantitative and qualitative research, such as the role IT plays and the importance of good longitudinal datasets?
• How can we improve evaluation of the evidence for policy makers?

• Professor Albert Weale FBA (University of Essex, Chair),[3.5MB mp3]
• Sharon Witherspoon (Nuffield Foundation) [2.4MB]
• Professor Ray Pawson (University of Leeds) [18.5MB] Accompanying presentation
• Dame Karen Dunnell (recently retired National Statistician) [18.5MB]

• Questions and discussion of research design and quality session [20mb]

15.05 Refreshments – Mall Room, 1st floor

15.20 Where Do We Go From Here?

• Are policy makers listening to the evidence?
• What happens when the evidence upsets the status quo?
• And how much will future public expenditure cuts affect the prospects for social research after the next election?

• A discussion chaired by Ann Mroz (Editor, Times Higher Education) with
• Rt Hon Malcolm Wicks MP (11mb)
• Ian Mulheirn (Social Market Foundation) (8mb)
• Dr Brian Iddon MP (12MB)

• Questions and discussion of where we go gfrom here (19MB)

16.15 Conclusions

• Observations on the day by Professor Rudolf Klein FBA (University of Bath), followed by concluding comments from Baroness Onora O'Neill and Ziyad Marar, SAGE