UK Voices

The UK Voices Project is piloting innovative methods for large-scale qualitative data collection and analysis to enhance the UK’s social science research infrastructure. Funded by ESRC and running from October 2024 to June 2025, the project is organized into two main work packages. The first tests a range of qualitative interview techniques for gathering in-depth data from a broad sample of the population, refining methods for large-scale qualitative research. This will build on existing projects, such as the American Voices Project, to develop a methodology tailored to the UK context. 

The second work package explores the use of generative AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to streamline the analysis of the extensive qualitative data collected. By leveraging these tools to assist in identifying and analysing key sections of text, this phase addresses challenges faced by traditional qualitative research, which is often limited to small numbers of participants. The project ultimately aims to create a flexible research platform that merges qualitative methods with innovative software tools, enabling more efficient analysis and broader exploration of critical social issues. The findings from this pilot will be shared with the wider social science community through reports, workshops, and conferences, laying the groundwork for future large-scale and cross-national qualitative research.