STRIKE will identify and scope the data infrastructure needed to build a national picture of social interactions in the UK, building on recent developments in the online collection of time-use data, applying methodological innovation to collect information on online and face-to-face social contacts and the places and events where interactions occur.

Whom we interact with and relate to influences behaviours, happiness, economic participation and life expectancy, as well as structuring family dynamics, community cohesion and the wider society. But social science has little representative data about who interacts with whom in the UK or the implications of those interactions.

Social connection, interaction and network data are, however, challenging to collect. People might be reluctant to share contact information, leading to social desirability and non-response bias, and the cognitive burden of recording all social interactions might lead to participant boredom or withdrawal. Recent technologies, like apps and sensors when used to collect social interaction data, can be seen as intrusive and overbearing. STRIKE will identify and scope the data infrastructure needed to build a national picture of social interactions in the UK, building on recent developments in the online collection of time-use data, applying methodological innovation to collect information on online and face-to-face social contacts and the places and events where interactions occur.

Project partners:

STRIKE Is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [Grant UKRI113]