Information for survey participants

This study was only possible because of the time and effort contributed by all of the GoWell participants, to whom we are extremely grateful.

Since the launch of GoWell in 2006 we conducted four surveys with residents: the first in 2006, in which more than 6,000 residents took part; the second in 2008, in which 4,700 residents participated; and the third in 2011, in which just over 4,000 residents took part. The fourth survey took place in 2015, with around 3,500 participants.

How were survey participants chosen?

Participants were picked along with thousands of other people who live in areas of Glasgow we were interested in. The selection process involved a combination of random sampling, sampling of residents from specific neighbourhoods and people involved in previous surveys as part of this study.

What did taking part involve?

An interviewer from BMG Research visited people's homes and invited them to take part in around a 45 minute interview in their home. BMG Research then processed the data and passed it to the GoWell Research Team for further analysis.

What was asked?

Our survey included questions on residents' homes and local community, and how they made them feel. It asked about lifestyle (such as diet, exercise, employment, income and education) and the health and wellbeing of participants and family members. It asked what residents thought about services in their area, such as housing, transport, shops etc. and how changes in their community affected them.

We also asked permission to allow a researcher from the GoWell team to analyse computerised records of the participant's use of NHS services over time, alongside that of other participants in the study. This was so that a full picture of changing community health could be established. Participants did not have to provide permission; they could still take part in the rest of the survey without providing permission for access to their NHS records.

Did participants have to answer all the questions?

No. Participants could decline to answer any questions they didn't want to answer. 

What has the study to do with residents?

Residents' views can help to improve community services and regeneration in their area and elsewhere. We published our findings and presented them to housing associations, policy-makers and planners. This helped to show them which kinds of changes benefited people (and which didn't).

Was the information given confidential?

Yes. Nothing participants told us was used outside the study. No personal information will be passed on to housing associations, the council, benefits agencies, tax offices, job centres, companies or anyone outside the study. All the information was anonymised and was not seen by anyone outside the GoWell research team. Names did not appear on any report, or on any questionnaire as participants were assigned an I.D. number. Our reports did not identify anyone, by name or by address or by any other means.

What happened after the interview?

Some people were contacted to participate in follow up interviews or focus groups. We also sent regular newsletters to all households in the study areas. 

What did the GoWell research team do with the information participants gave us?

The information participants told us was put together with information provided by the other Glasgow households who took part in our surveys. This helped to build a picture of people's experiences of community regeneration and neighbourhood renewal, and helped us identify what kinds of regeneration activities provided the most benefit to individuals and communities.

We fed back the findings for each area through our newsletters, which we regularly sent to everyone living in our study areas. We also shared and discussed findings with various policy-makers and service providers, including the Scottish Government, the council, the police, GHA and other housing associations, the Health Board and Community Planning.