The UK Data Service published its latest dataset update on 16 October, including a revised resource relevant to university researchers studying higher education. Its roundup lists a new edition of the Understanding Society Innovation Panel dataset with higher education codes, covering waves 13–18 and the years 2020–2025.
The release list also includes new Growing Up in Scotland datasets from the first cohort’s twelfth sweep, covering 2025. These comprise a Special Licence version and separate Secure Access geography files. The announcement concerns the availability of research resources, rather than new findings about students or educational outcomes.
For researchers planning projects, the access labels are an important distinction: the higher education codes dataset is listed under Special Licence Access, not unrestricted download. Readers should consult the catalogue entry and its documentation before deciding whether the data fit their research question and access arrangements.
The October announcement date should not be confused with the period studied. The higher education resource covers 2020–2025; its appearance in this update does not make it a survey of students in October 2026.
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