Introduction


Context for the quality report.

The data are taken from the Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) survey, an annual survey run by Access Research Knowledge (ARK). ARK is a social policy hub, established in 2000 by researchers at Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast. NILT provides a snapshot of the attitudes, beliefs and experiences of adults in Northern Ireland (NI) across a range of social issues. While the topics covered by NILT vary from year to year, the Respect module has been included annually since the Respect Index was first introduced as a Programme for Government Indicator.

The Respect module includes a set of nine questions known as the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS). This measures perception of discrimination experienced by individuals in their daily lives. Responses to the nine questions are collated to report proportions who ‘feel respected’ and ‘do not feel respected’ – the Respect Index.

Relevance


The degree to which the statistical product meets user needs in both coverage and content.

The Respect Index was developed through an iterative process involving a review of the literature, pilot testing and engagement with stakeholders and an expert Technical Assessment Panel.

The Respect Index provides an indicator of the extent to which adults in NI experience respect in their everyday lives. The measure supports understanding of experiences of discrimination, inclusion and social cohesion, and contributes evidence to inform policy development, monitoring and evaluation.

The continued inclusion of the Respect module within the NILT survey provides a consistent source of information that enables trends in perceived respect to be monitored over time.

This helps ensure that the Respect Index continues to provide users with robust statistics that meet a range of analytical and policy needs.

Accuracy and Reliability


The proximity between an estimate and the unknown true value.

Data are derived from a survey sample rather than the entire population of NI. The sample is selected using a methodology designed to provide representative coverage across NI.

In both 2024 and 2025, a total of 8,000 addresses were selected and invited to participate in the survey. The achieved sample sizes were 1,199 respondents in 2024 and 1,244 respondents in 2025. Survey data are weighted to adjust for differential response rates, to improve representativeness and align the achieved sample with known characteristics of the NI adult population.

As estimates are based on a sample rather than a census, results may differ from the true population values. This variation is measured using confidence intervals, which provide a range within which the true population value is likely to lie.

Further information on survey methodology, sampling error and confidence intervals is available in the NILT technical documentation published by ARK.

Where appropriate, statistical significance testing is undertaken at the 5 per cent significance level. A reported increase or decrease indicates that there is at least a 95 per cent probability that the observed difference reflects a genuine change rather than random sampling variation.

Quality assurance checks are carried out when survey data are received to ensure that datasets are complete, internally consistent and suitable for analysis. Any inconsistencies identified are investigated and resolved where possible.

Validation checks are undertaken on all analyses produced for the Respect Index publication. These checks include comparisons with previously published results; comparisons with other outputs derived from the same data source; and examination of notable changes over time.

The Respect Index is derived from nine items included within the EDS. Respondents with missing responses on one or more EDS items are excluded from the calculation of the Respect Index.

Figures published by The Executive Office may differ slightly from calculations based on underlying unrounded data due to rounding conventions.

Timeliness and Punctuality

Timeliness refers to the time gap between publication and the reference period. Punctuality refers to the gap between planned and actual publication dates.

Data collection for the NILT survey is typically undertaken during the autumn of the calendar year to which the data relate.

Fieldwork for the 2024 survey was conducted between 6 September 2024 and 19 November 2024 and resulted in 1,199 completed interviews.

Fieldwork for the 2025 survey was conducted between 26 September 2025 and 14 December 2025 and resulted in 1,244 completed interviews.

Following completion of fieldwork, survey data are processed, quality assured and weighted before being made available for analysis and reporting.

Publication dates are available on the GOV.UK website in the upcoming statistical releases section: https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics

The publication date for both the Respect Index publication and this Background Quality Report is published on The Executive Office website.

In the event of a change to a pre-announced publication date, the reason for the delay would be explained and a revised publication date provided. Any significant delays would be communicated to users in a timely manner.

Accessibility and Clarity


Accessibility is the ease with which users are able to access the data, also reflecting the format in which the data are available and the availability of supporting information. Clarity refers to the quality and sufficiency of the metadata, illustrations and accompanying advice.

The Respect Index publication is available free of charge on The Executive Office website in HTML format.

The HTML publication has been designed to support accessibility and compatibility with assistive technologies. Alternative formats may be made available on request where reasonably practicable.

Accompanying data tables are published alongside the report and are available for download in Microsoft Excel and OpenDocument Spreadsheet formats.

The publication contains charts, tables and explanatory commentary to aid interpretation of the findings. Definitions, methodological notes and information on variable derivation are provided to support user understanding.

The publication includes contact details for Statistics and Research Branch within The Executive Office. Users are encouraged to contact the team if they require further information or clarification regarding the statistics presented.

The statistics are published through the relevant UK official and national statistics publication platforms, including GOV.UK and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website, as appropriate.

Where possible, additional ad hoc analysis may be provided in response to user requests, subject to data quality, disclosure control requirements and resource considerations.

Coherence and Comparability


Coherence is the degree to which data that are derived from different sources or methods, but refer to the same topic, are similar. Comparability is the degree to which data can be compared over time and domain.

There have been several academic studies which have applied the nine questions of the EDS to understand the perception of discrimination experienced by individuals in their daily lives. These studies have examined perceptions of discrimination on the basis of gender, age, and race/ethnicity in a range of geographies (for example, North America, Europe, South Africa, Australia). These studies have found that the EDS is a robust measure of perceived discrimination.

However, NILT is the only regularly collected source of data on the EDS in NI. Consequently, there are limited opportunities for direct comparison with other survey sources.

The Respect Index time series is based on NILT survey data collected annually since 2016, allowing comparisons to be made over time. However, comparisons between years should be interpreted with caution.

Between 2016 and 2019, the NILT survey was conducted using face-to-face interviewing. In 2020, the survey transitioned to a push-to-web methodology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach has been retained for subsequent survey years, including 2024 and 2025.

As a result, differences observed between survey years may reflect changes in survey methodology, as well as genuine changes in attitudes and experiences. Users should therefore exercise caution when making comparisons across the full time series.

The latest data are routinely compared with previous years, and any notable changes are investigated as part of the quality assurance process.

No substantial methodological changes were identified between the 2023, 2024 and 2025 surveys that would be expected to affect the comparability of the Respect Index results.

The consistent application of the Respect Index methodology helps to ensure that changes observed over time reflect underlying patterns in respondents’ experiences and perceptions, rather than changes to the measure itself.

Trade-offs between Output Quality Components


Trade-offs are the extent to which different aspects of quality are balanced against each other.

There is a balance between the level of detail that can be provided within statistical outputs and the reliability of estimates derived from the survey sample.

The achieved sample sizes for the NILT survey are sufficient to support the analysis presented within the Respect Index publication. However, more detailed analysis of smaller population subgroups or lower-level geographies may not always be possible due to limited sample sizes.

While the survey is designed to be representative of the NI adult population, subgroup analyses may be subject to larger margins of error than estimates based on all respondents. For this reason, analyses are only undertaken where sample sizes are considered sufficient to support robust interpretation.

Decisions regarding the level of detail presented within the publication therefore involve balancing the value of providing additional insight against the need to ensure that statistics remain reliable, robust and fit for purpose.

Assessment of User Needs and Perceptions


The processes for finding out about users and uses, and their views on the statistical products.

The development of the Respect Index was undertaken in response to an identified user need arising from the Programme for Government and associated outcomes-based reporting requirements. The measure was developed to provide an indicator of the extent to which adults in NI experience respect in their everyday lives.

The development of the Respect Index followed an iterative approach involving a review of the literature, pilot testing, engagement with stakeholders and advice from an expert Technical Assessment Panel. This process helped to ensure that the measure was methodologically robust, policy relevant and capable of meeting user needs.

Users of the Respect Index include government departments, public bodies, academics, researchers, community and voluntary organisations, elected representatives, the media and members of the public.

A readership survey, seeking feedback on the coverage and content of the report, was published alongside the 2024 and 2025 update. It is expected that the results of this survey, as well as more targeted user engagement, will help to inform future releases.

Performance, Cost and Respondent Burden


The effectiveness, efficiency and economy of the statistical output.

The NILT survey was launched in 1998 and is conducted by ARK, a partnership between Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University. The survey monitors the attitudes and behaviour of people in NI and provides a time series of information on a wide range of social policy issues.

The survey operates on a modular basis. Since 2016, the Respect module has been included annually within the survey, allowing the production of the Respect Index time series.

The NILT survey provides an efficient means of collecting information on multiple social policy issues through a single survey vehicle. This approach allows costs to be shared across participating organisations while minimising duplication of data collection activity.

Respondent burden is also minimised through the modular survey design. The impact of respondent burden is considered throughout the survey design and delivery process.

As part of wider public sector arrangements, survey burden is monitored and considered alongside the value of the information collected.

Confidentiality, Transparency and Security


The procedures and policies used to ensure sound confidentiality, security and transparent practices.

The NILT datasets provided for analysis are anonymised and do not contain personally identifiable information. Survey data are collected and processed in accordance with relevant data protection legislation and ethical standards.

The NILT survey received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s University Belfast. Participation in the survey is voluntary and respondents are informed about how their information will be used before they take part.

Within The Executive Office, access to survey data is restricted to staff who require access for statistical and analytical purposes. Appropriate procedures are in place to ensure the secure storage and handling of data.

The datasets used for analysis are anonymised and there is no mechanism by which Statistics and Research Branch can identify individual respondents or households selected for participation in the survey.

Analysis is undertaken in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics and relevant organisational policies relating to confidentiality, transparency and data security.

The statistics published in the Respect Index report are presented in aggregate form. Results are reported as percentages and summary statistics, ensuring that individual respondents cannot be identified.

The publication is accompanied by supporting methodological information, data tables and this Background Quality Report to assist users in understanding how the statistics have been produced and to support transparent interpretation of the findings.

If errors are identified following publication, corrections will be made in accordance with The Executive Office’s revisions and corrections arrangements. Where appropriate, users will be informed of any substantive changes to published statistics.