Research - Office for Statistics Regulation

The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR)’s vision is ‘statistics that serve the public good’. The OSR research programme explores how statistics can serve the public good, as the better we understand this, the closer we will be to achieving our vision. You can learn about OSR’s wider research interests in our Areas of Research Interest statement. If you would like to collaborate with us on our research programme or any of our wider topics of interest we welcome your contact at research.function@statistics.gov.uk.

Research Publications

A decorative image of a person working on a laptop with document icons

Trust and official statistics (January 2026)

Statistics for the public good: Understanding and enhancing trust in official statistics (January 2026)

Statistics in Personal Decision-Making (March 2025)

The use of official statistics in UK public policy: facilitators and barriers (May 2024)

Statistics for the public good: Facilitating their role in public policy (May 2024)

How statistics can serve the public good: a think piece (February 2024)

A UK-wide public dialogue exploring what the public perceive as ‘public good’ use of data for research and statistics (October 2022)

Research Blogs

Advancing data linkage: key takeaways from the Administrative Data Research UK conference (September 2025)

How official statistics shape personal decisions (March 2025)

The Power of Public Engagement in Shaping Our Work (November 2024)

The public good of statistics – narratives from around the world (November 2023)

How do people use official statistics to make decisions? (September 2023)

Power in numbers: A collaborative approach to exploring public perceptions of public good (October 2022)

Exploring the value of statistics for the public (April 2022)

Research programme next steps

In answering the questions set out in our Areas of Research Interest statement we will draw on evidence and build collaborative relationships across the statistical system and beyond. We will also support others to translate what we learn into useful materials to work towards our vision that statistics serve the public good. We are currently focussing our research programme on expanding knowledge in the If you would like to know more about any of our work, or to get involved, please contact us at research.function@statistics.gov.uk.