Much of the work on the SARs has exploited the novelty of the data (particularly the sample size and relatively detailed geography on the 2% SAR) to make methodological developments in a number of areas. The increasing use of multilevel modelling techniques by social scientists along with the availability of the SARs has led to developments in the understanding of the ecological fallacy and spatial variations in unemployment, deprivation and in health. The SARs have also contributed to improvements in population projections, in small area estimation and in micro-simulation of whole populations. Many other methodological developments have been made outside the academic arena.
The following examples illustrate specific ways in which SARS have been used in methodological work: [Note These links open in a new window]