Our research has a direct impact by informing policy and improving health and wellbeing, so engagement and communications are central to our work. We engage with the public, with government at all levels, and with our research community and other stakeholders to ensure our work is relevant and understood.
Research into policy practice
Much of our research has a direct impact on policy and therefore on public health.
Our expertise and technology enable us to provide insight to inform policymakers and help them make decisions affecting the health and wellbeing of thousands.
An example was our project Evaluating the impacts of Welsh Government-funded schemes designed to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income households on health outcomes through the use of existing data.
We used existing data to evaluate Welsh Government-funded schemes to improve energy efficiency in the homes of low-income households.
Building on previous research, we aimed to help the Welsh Government to understand the impact of fuel poverty on people’s health and to evaluate the strategy to reduce the number of people living in fuel poverty in Wales, with a view to shaping future policy.
The outcomes:
- We showed the Warm Homes Programme is helping to prevent cold-related health problems, with a knock-on reduction in the use of healthcare services. This contributes to the Welsh Government’s goals of a healthier, more equal and more prosperous Wales.
- Our findings have been used to develop the new Warm Homes Nest scheme and as a result eligibility for free home energy efficiency measures has been extended to low-income homes with members suffering from respiratory and circulatory conditions.
- A continuation of investment in home energy efficiency improvements for low income houses, with £104 million committed over four years to improve up to 25,000 more homes through the Warm Homes Programme.
Enriching the research community
The Population Data Science group is part of the thriving UK and international data linkage research community, which works closely with the public and other stakeholders to produce new research and knowledge that can be translated into policy and practice.
Our world-class resources in research expertise and data linkage technology provide an infrastructure which can help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing today’s society – creating a research ecosystem with the potential to produce educational, environmental, economic, and societal impact.
We are constantly looking to improve our research capability by enhancing the abilities of individuals, the organisation and systems to undertake and disseminate high-quality research efficiently and effectively. We help develop skills, talent and expertise in data linkage research, and we provide the tools for collaborative working.
Knowledge exchange and public engagement activities help to maximise the non-academic impact of our research work – a process which encourages the sharing of ideas, findings and expertise with external partners, the public, private and third sectors and other academic institutions. Engaging in knowledge exchange helps us meet the needs of government, policymakers, funding bodies, research councils and the public.
We also manage partnerships and collaborations with funding bodies, government departments and academic institutions – in the UK and worldwide – extending our reach and reputation internationally.
The International Journal of Population Data Science
The International Journal of Population Data Science (IJPDS) is a digital, peer-reviewed journal focusing on the science relating to population data.
IJPDS is the only journal dedicated to all aspects of population data science research, development and evaluation, and brings into the field, research from multiple disciplines that would otherwise operate independently.
IJPDS has an editorial board of leading international experts headed by Founding Editor-in-Chief, Professor Kerina Jones and Deputy Editor, Professor Kim McGrail. Our strategic partner, the International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN), further enhances the journal’s credibility and global reach.
We make all articles available through open access as we fully support the sharing of knowledge without restriction for the benefit of all and believe this is the most effective way to disseminate findings and drive new research.
The journal embraces the fact that valuable research comes in a wide variety of formats, and we accept a broad range of manuscript types, which would often be out of scope for other academic journals.
Furthermore, IJPDS brings another new dimension to the traditional academic journal format by helping authors inform the public of exciting new research as it unfolds. We offer a service through The Conversation, an influential and independent channel for research news and views, to deliver research directly to the public.