How Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Understanding Society is a household panel survey with continuous fieldwork (monthly samples) using a mixed mode design. Prior to March 2020, around half of all interviews were carried out face-to-face, amounting to around 1,150 interviews per month. This article outlines how the survey rapidly transitioned to a protocol without face-to-face interviews and presents some initial indicators of the impact of the change on field outcomes.