Content types on the ONS website Survey guides
Overview
Survey guides are a type of data source guide published on the ONS website. They provide detailed supporting information for an ONS survey.
For information on producing a guide on administrative data, go to our Administrative data source guide guidance.
New methodology publications
All new methodology content publishing on the ONS website from the end of April 2026 will need to use the new content types. Please get in touch with the content designer allocated to your publication as early as possible so they can help you to identify the correct content type. If a content designer has not yet been allocated to your publication, contact Content.Design@ons.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Survey guides have been designed to replace survey quality and methodology information (QMI) reports and parts of user guides, as part of our web and content transformation programme. This new template is based on research, evidence and prioritised user needs.
Existing methodology publications
All existing methodology publications will need to be rewritten using one of our new methodology templates. Digital Publishing will get in touch with you to advise which content types to use when rewriting your existing content, and when.
You should repurpose the most relevant existing methodology page in Florence to publish each transformed piece of content. Include a notice on any discontinued pages to direct users to the transformed page.
Every ONS survey should have a corresponding survey guide that includes information on:
- any recent, past and upcoming changes to the survey
- the survey design and implementation
- the quality of the survey
- comparability and coherence with other surveys
- understanding complex terms
Do not include detailed information about sets of statistics produced using the survey in your survey guide. This information should sit in the relevant set of statistics’ quality and methods guide.
There will only ever be one version of a survey guide. This is to avoid inconsistent and duplicated information, and ensure users have one source of truth. The content lives on a single, static page with no previous editions.
Users need to feel confident they are accessing the most up-to-date information when using a survey guide. You should review the guide regularly and update it whenever there is an important change to the survey.
Template
Download our survey guide template (opens in a new tab)
As part of our phased approach, we will be adopting the new methodology content standards while using Florence, the current content management system (CMS). This will put us in a strong position to migrate methodology content to Wagtail, the new CMS, later this year and in 2027.
Certain Wagtail content components (such as expandible and collapsible accordions, and accessible text tables) are not available in Florence. The red text in the template set out alternative ways of presenting this content in Florence. When your content is migrated to Wagtail, you can convert it.
Title and summary
Title
A survey guide title must:
- include the name of the survey (in title case)
- state that the page is a guide (in lower case)
- not include a time period – there should only ever be one version of a survey guide that is kept up to date
- not include a geographic location
- not include the survey acronym
Opinions and Lifestyle Survey guide
Annual Business Survey guide
Read more about general best practice in our Titles and headings guidance.
Summary
The standard summary all survey guides must use is:
"[Survey name] design and implementation, including collection methods, sample design, response rates and coverage. Includes survey changes and quality information."
Opinions and Lifestyle Survey design and implementation, including collection methods, sample design, response rates and coverage. Includes survey changes and quality information.
Overview section
All survey guides must start with an Overview section that summarises the most important takeaways. These will be different for each survey, but might include:
- primary collection method
- frequency of collection
- how representative the sample is
- any essential quality considerations
This helps users to get the main messages quickly and to know if the content is relevant to their needs.
Include the following standard text in your Overview section:
“We use data from this survey to publish regular statistical articles on:
- [statistical article title and link]
- [statistical article title and link]
- [statistical article title and link]”
You do not need to include all ad hoc or secondary statistical articles that use data from the survey.
The Overview section should be a few paragraphs in length. Aim for fewer than 300 words.
Latest changes to the survey section
All survey guides must include a Latest changes to the survey section, even if there are no recent updates.
This helps users to:
- quickly understand if the survey has changed
- feel confident they are accessing the most up-to-date information
- access links to more detailed sections further down the page on any new changes
If the survey has changed
If there has been at least one important change since you previously updated the guide, start the section with the following standard lead-in line:
"We updated this guide on [DD Month YYYY – the date of your current update]. Important changes to the survey since we previously updated the guide on [DD Month YYYY] include:"
Briefly summarise each change that has occurred since you previously updated the guide in a separate bullet point – more detail can be included in the Changes and their effects on comparability over time section (opens in a new tab)
These will be different for each survey, but examples of important changes could include changes to:
- survey questions
- response rates, where they are large or unexpected changes
- sample size
- how we collect responses (for example, changing from in-person interviews to telephone interviews)
- the survey period, or how often we collect responses
- geographic boundaries
Each time you update the guide, remove any changes that were added in the previous update from this section. Details of these changes will still be available in the Changes and their effects on comparability over time section.
At the end of the Latest changes to the survey section, use the following standard text:
"For more information on these latest changes, as well as any past and upcoming changes, go to Changes and their effects on comparability over time."
If the survey has not changed
You might sometimes need to make minor editorial updates to the guide when you have made no changes to the survey itself. In these cases, use the following standard text:
"We made minor editorial updates to this guide on [DD Month YYYY – the date of your current update]. There were no important changes to the survey itself.
For information on past and upcoming changes, go to Changes and their effects on comparability over time."
Survey design and implementation
All survey guides must include a Survey design and implementation section.
This helps users to understand how the survey was planned, carried out and managed.
The section must include the following subsections:
- Data collection method
- Sample design
- Response rates
- Coverage
If relevant, the section can also include the following optional subsections:
- Processing survey responses
- Classifications/Variables/Categories
The section can also include any other subsections not listed here that are relevant to your survey and users’ needs.
Data collection method subsection
Explain how you carry out the survey. For example, you could include information on:
- whether participants complete a questionnaire or are interviewed
- whether interviews take place in person or over the telephone
- how frequently you collect responses
Use further subsections within this subsection as necessary.
Sample design subsection
Explain the method used to choose the sample that participates in the survey. For example, you could include information on:
- target and frame populations
- sampling units
- sample size
Use further subsections within this subsection as necessary.
Response rates subsection
Include information on the survey response rates, such as:
- what the response rate is, for different groups and over time
- how you calculate it
- factors that affect it
- any strategies to improve it
Use further subsections within this subsection as necessary.
Coverage subsection
Describe how the frame population relates to the target population. For example, you could include information on:
- who is included and excluded (for example, eligibility criteria, sectors or demographic groups)
- any undercoverage, overrepresentation, or missing groups
- implications for representativeness
Use further subsections within this subsection as necessary.
If you have a large volume of classifications, variables or categories that require explanation, include them in a dedicated [Classifications/Variables/Categories] subsection rather than in this section.
Processing survey responses subsection (optional)
Explain how you process survey responses to produce the survey data, before any sets of statistics are produced. Use subsections as necessary – these might include:
- Data linkage
- Validation
- Editing and imputation
- Deriving variables
- Deriving weights
Do not include information on how we produce specific sets of statistics from the survey data. This information should be provided in the relevant sets of statistics’ quality and methods guides, which can be linked to from this subsection.
For example, information on:
- weights and imputation methods applied to the Annual Population Survey (APS) should sit in the Annual Population Survey guide
- revised methods of weighting adjustments made to the APS to improve smoking prevalence estimates over the coronavirus pandemic period should sit in the Adult smoking habits quality and methods guide
[Classifications/Variables/Categories] subsection (optional)
If you have a large volume of classifications, variables or categories that require explanation, include them here in a dedicated [Classifications/Variables/Categories] subsection rather than the Coverage subsection.
If there are a lot of classifications, variables or categories to cover, you can use further subheadings and accordions to help break up the content. This helps users to easily find what they need.
If you are publishing a survey guide in Florence, the current content management system (CMS), your content will be presented as subheadings and plain text. Accordions are not an available component in Florence.
When your content is migrated to Wagtail, the new CMS, the subheadings and plain text can be converted into accordions.
Quality of the survey section
All survey guides must include a Quality of the survey section.
This helps users to understand the quality and trustworthiness of the survey, and how to use data from it appropriately.
The section must include three subsections:
- How we quality assure the survey
- Strengths and limitations
- Data quality dimensions
How we quality assure the survey subsection
Provide a description of the main steps taken to quality assure the survey using either:
- a numbered list (read our Numbered lists guidance)
- subheadings
Strengths and limitations subsection
This subsection briefly summarises the main strengths and limitations of the survey in relation to its quality.
Include a bullet pointed list of the main strengths under a Strengths subheading, and the main limitations under a Limitations subheading.
Each bullet point should provide a brief summary of a strength or limitation. Link to another section for more detail if needed.
Bullet points must start with a capital letter, end with a full stop, and only include one short sentence. Read more in our Bullet points guidance.
If more detail on a strength or limitation is needed, but is not appropriate to include in another section, use subsections in the Strengths subsection or Limitations subsection after the bullet list.
Data quality dimensions subsection
To help users measure the quality of the survey data, use the following standard text:
“The Government Data Quality Framework recommends the use of the Data Management Association (DAMA UK) data quality dimensions (opens in a new tab) to assess and improve data quality. These are:
- completeness
- uniqueness
- consistency
- timeliness
- validity
- accuracy
We have integrated these considerations into the guide.”
View guidance on how to write about the data quality dimensions (opens in a new tab)
Changes and their effects on comparability over time section
All survey guides must include a Changes and their effects on comparability over time section.
This helps users to:
- know which changes to the survey affect comparability of the survey data over time
- recognise real trends rather than those caused by changes to the survey
If appropriate, the section can start with a short summary of why changes sometimes occur.
The section must include three subsections:
- Latest changes
- Past changes
- Upcoming changes
If there are multiple changes to cover in a subsection, use a dedicated accordion for each change. This helps users to find the change they need easily.
You do not need to use an accordion if there is only one change in a subsection – just use plain text.
Clearly explain whether each change affects comparability over time or not.
If you are publishing a survey guide in Florence, the current content management system (CMS), your content will be presented as subheadings and plain text. Accordions are not an available component in Florence.
When your content is migrated to Wagtail, the new CMS, the subheadings and plain text can be converted into accordions.
Latest changes subsection
Use this section to provide additional detail on the latest changes you briefly covered in the Latest changes to the survey section (opens in a new tab)
Latest changes to the survey are important changes that occurred since you previously updated the guide.
Each time you update the guide, move any changes that were added to the Latest changes subsection in the previous update to the Past changes subsection. These are no longer considered latest changes.
If there is more than one latest change, use the following standard text at the start of the subsection:
"These changes are ordered by date, with the most recent first."
If there are no latest changes, use the following standard text:
We made minor editorial updates to this guide on [DD Month YYYY – the date of your current update]. There were no important changes to the survey itself."
Past changes subsection
If there is more than one past change, use the following standard text at the start of the subsection:
"These changes are ordered by date, with the most recent first."
If there are no past changes, use the following standard text:
“There have been no important changes to the survey in the past [number of months or years].”
Upcoming changes subsection
Upcoming changes are changes that we know will take place in the near future.
You can include links to publications that explore or evaluate potential future changes.
If there is more than one upcoming change, use the following standard text at the start of the subsection:
"These changes are ordered by date, with the most immediate first."
If there are no upcoming changes to the survey, use the following standard text:
“We currently have no plans to change the survey in the near future.”
Comparability and coherence with other data sources section (optional)
If relevant, your survey guide can include a Comparability and coherence with other data sources section.
This helps users to know if the ONS or other organisations carry out surveys or collect data on the same or similar topics, and if so, any similarities and differences.
Use one subsection for each comparative data source, using its name as the heading.
If the data sources are highly comparable
If your survey and the comparative data source are highly comparable, use the following standard text:
“The [comparative data source title and link] is highly comparable with [your survey], and there are no differences to be aware of."
If the data sources are broadly comparable or not comparable
If your survey and the comparative data source are broadly comparable or not comparable, use the following standard text and table to compare them:
“The [comparative data source title and link] is [broadly/not] comparable with [your survey], [but be aware/because] of the following [similarities and] differences.”
| [Your survey] | [Comparative data source] |
|---|---|
| [Description of similarity or difference] | [Description of similarity or difference] |
| [Description of similarity or difference] | [Description of similarity or difference] |
| [Description of similarity or difference] | [Description of similarity or difference] |
Similarities and differences in the table should be no longer than one sentence.
If some similarities and differences require a more detailed explanation, summarise them in the table, and then use subheadings and plain text after the table to provide more information.
If there are no relevant data sources to compare your survey to, do not include this section.
If you are publishing a survey guide in Florence, the current content management system (CMS), you will need to write the content included in the text table as plain text. Accessible text tables are not an available component in Florence.
When your content is migrated to Wagtail, the new CMS, the plain text can be converted into an accessible text table.
How to format this content in Florence
“The [comparative data source with link] is [broadly/not] comparable with [your survey], [but be aware/because] of the following [similarities and] differences:
- [comparative data source] [description of difference]; [your survey] [description of difference]
- [comparative data source] and [your survey] both [description of similarity]”
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) (opens in a new tab) is broadly comparable with the Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS), but be aware of the following differences:
- the ASHE covers the UK and is annual; the WAS covers Great Britain (GB) and is biennial
- the ASHE is an employer survey completed by the payroll administrator; the WAS captures pensions at person and household level and uses self-reported data
- the ASHE only captures pension information for the employer completing the survey; the WAS collects up to two employer pensions per person, so numbers are always slightly misaligned with the ASHE
Definitions section
All survey guides must include a Definitions section.
Clear definitions help users to understand complex terms. Use a dedicated section with an accordion for each term to help users find the definition they need.
Definitions will be added through a central ONS glossary in Wagtail, the new content management system (CMS), and reused across multiple publications. This is to ensure consistency across our content.
If you are publishing a survey guide in Florence, the current CMS, you will need to:
- provide each term and definition because the centralised glossary is not available in Florence
- use subheadings and plain text, because accordions are not an available component in Florence
When your content is migrated to Wagtail, the new CMS, the definitions can be added through the central glossary.
Related links section
All survey guides must include a Related links section.
Include links to relevant, timely and useful pages. Three to six is the optimum number for good engagement, but you can include additional links if there is a clear user need to do so.
The format of this section is automated in Wagtail, the new content management system (CMS), to display the page title and link, release date, content type and page summary.
If you are publishing a survey guide in Florence, the current CMS, you will need to provide page metadata (title, content type, release date and page description) along with the URLs. Florence cannot pull this information through automatically.
How to format this content in Florence
Use the following format:
[Content type] | Released [XX Month 20XX]
[Summary of page or publication.]
Cite this page section
All survey guides must include a Cite this page section.
The format of this section is automated in Wagtail, the new content management system (CMS), to display the source, last updated date, location, content type, and page title and link.
It helps users to cite our publications accurately and consistently.
If you are publishing a survey guide in Florence, the current CMS, you will need to write the citation information manually. Florence cannot pull this information through automatically.
How to format this content in Florence
Use the following format:
Office for National Statistics (ONS), released [XX Month 20XX], ONS website, survey guide, [Title with link embedded]