Counting people: the past, present and future of censuses

UCL Dept of Information Studies are pleased to announce the inaugural lecture of Prof Oli Duke Williams.

About the lecture

The most recent census taken in this country was also perhaps the most unusual – the pandemic affecting both the way in which people completed it, and the answers that they gave. It may also be the last census of its kind: alternative data sources offer the potential for different ways of counting the population, bringing with them their own opportunities and threats. In this lecture I reflect on the history of counting people in the UK, and how the past can help us to shape the future.

About the speaker

Oliver is Professor of Population Information in the Department of Information Studies at UCL, where he also leads MA/MSc programmes in Digital Humanities. He is the Census Service Director at the UK Data Service and is also a Senior Advisor to the Centre for Longitudinal Study Information and User Support, which facilitates research access to the ONS Longitudinal Study.

The lecture is free, but please book via Eventbrite to ensure a place. The lecture will be followed by refreshments.

If you cannot attend in person, the event will also be livestreamed and recorded (further details can be found here)

Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash