The Association for Survey Computing (ASC), originally known as the Study Group on Computers in Survey Analysis (SGCSA), was formed in 1971 in order to improve knowledge of good practice in survey computing and to disseminate information on techniques and survey software.
Constitution

The ASC is a non-profit organisation, affiliated to the British Computer Society and the International Association for Statistical Computing. It has a wide-ranging membership at both individual and corporate levels, and has close working links with the Royal Statistical Society, the Social Research Association and the Market Research Society. Although based in the United Kingdom, it has a growing international membership.

Today its aims are:

• To act as a forum for the various disciplines within survey research and statistical computing
• To inform members of the latest software packages and techniques
• To organise regular conferences and workshops on key topics within the industry
• To disseminate information via its web site and publications
• To catalogue current software systems

The Association tries to keep people up to date with the role of computers in all aspects of the survey research process. In the past this was largely limited to collecting and analysing survey data. Over the 30 years of the Association’s existence the role has widened into the design and formulation aspects of surveys and the presentation process. Now even more possibilities are emerging in the fields of integration, dissemination and communication of survey data and survey results.

The ASC organises four series of conferences:

Three-day multi-stream international conferences that cover all aspects of survey computing. The first one was in Bristol in 1992, then London in 1996, Edinburgh in 1999, and Warwick in 2003. The last was held in Southampton in September 2007.

Two-day single stream residential international conferences that have time to investigate the latest practices in survey computing. The first one was in Southampton in 1998, followed by Latimer in 2001, and then at Newland Park in September 2005.

For many years the ASC has organised one-day conferences (usually two each year) that concentrate on a single topic, methodology or medium. These have been held in London and Edinburgh.

We have had an occasional series of more specialised workshops that contrast and compare solutions as offered by different practitioners. These have always been London based.

In 2006 we started a series of social evenings: these are a relatively new concept for ASC. We run these events quarterly and they are free to ASC members. The objective is to provide a short briefing on a technology topic of interest, followed by an opportunity to socialise with your friends and colleagues in the industry. We provide bar snacks and drinks, paid for by the ASC until 8.30pm, although we have the venue for the whole evening if you want to stay on.

In 1999 the ASC decided to use the Web as its primary medium for publication. For example, its major publication, the Register of Software for Statistical and Survey Analysis (which lists details of all relevant packages known to the Association) is now available from these pages. We continue to produce paper publications, including the Software Register and conference proceedings, but using the web site as the major source of material. The ASC has also published the Proceedings of the International Conferences, as well as more specialised monographs based on one-day events.

An important innovation, in co-operation with the Market Research Society, is the groundbreaking ‘MRS/ASC Award for Technological Effectiveness’, intended to foster innovation in the involvement of computers in the survey process, whether on a large or small scale, by both companies and individual professionals. This award was presented for the first time in the autumn of 2003, with the short-list of finalists announced at the ASC 2003 conference, and the winner at the MRS Awards Dinner.

The Association has begun sponsoring students so that they can attend courses in our discipline. It provided support for the registration fees and accommodation expenses for two students at the IASC-IASS Summer School in Capri on the 20th-30th June 2001. Reports from the students about their experiences of the course appear here. We also sponsor prizes for well presented conference posters, starting at the Compstat 2000 conference in Utrecht and continuing this for the Compstat conferences in Berlin (2002) and Prague (2004) and our own conferences at Warwick in 2003 and Southampton in 2007.

The activities of the ASC are organised by a committee of volunteers, supported by a part-time Administrator. The current ASC Committee is:

President:    Beverley Charles Rowe
Chair:    Peter Wills
Vice-Chair:     Steve Taylor
Secretary:     Laurance Gerrard
Treasurer:     Raz Kahn

Committee: Randy Banks, Garj Basi, AJ Johnson, Tim Macer, Pat Molloy, Ed Ross, Mike Trotman

Administrator:     Christine Jenkins

Affiliates: Suzanne Evans (RSS), Wendy Sykes (SRA), Sue Trenhaile (MRS)