British social research experienced an unprecedented flowering from the 1940s to the 1970s.

This enabled many researchers to carry out their research on a scale and with a methodological diversity which could not easily be repeated today.

This site highlights the Pioneers who did this research alongside in-depth life story interviews which explain the context of the research – personal, social and intellectual.

THE PIONEERS

Browse the pioneers by their fields of work and approaches to research. See details of each pioneer including their legacy and contribution to research, a biography and links to the interview extracts.

THEMES

Browse the pioneer interviews by the theme of the interview. Read the transcript of interview extracts and listen to the pioneer speaking.

COLLECTIONS

Browse the pioneers projects by subject category. Find details of each project including a link to where the study can be found.

TEACH

This is an ideal teaching resource as it engages students in an interactive learning experience.

REUSE

See how the classic data collections of the Pioneers have been reused both in research and in teaching.