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/methodology/methodologytopicsandstatisticalconcepts
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Data and analysis from Census 2021

  1. Home
  2. Methodology
  3. Methodology topics and statistical concepts

Methodology topics and statistical concepts

The statistical methods and techniques that underpin all our surveys and statistical outputs, and information on statistical quality and revisions policies.

  • How we create our outputs

    The role of the Methodology Group in ONS

  • Index numbers

    An introduction to index numbers, which are used to measure changes and simplify comparisons.

  • Sample design and estimation

    All aspects of sampling, and making inferences about populations.

  • Seasonal adjustment

    An introduction to seasonal adjustment, which is widely used in official statistics as a technique for enabling timely interpretation of time series data.

  • Disclosure control

    Best practice for applying disclosure control to data.

  • Quality in official statistics

    How we strive to maintain quality standards in our statistics.

  • ‘Revisions and Corrections

    Overview of Office for National Statistics' revisions and correction of errors policies.

  • Guide to official statistics in development

    Frequently asked questions about official statistics in development.

  • Admin data sources

    Details about the admin data we use and or have saved.

  • Uncertainty and how we measure it

    Explaining measures of uncertainty such as standard error, confidence interval, coefficient of variation and statistical significance and how they affect estimates from our surveys.

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All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated