Introduction

This guidance details the principles institutions should follow when using any published and unpublished (non-public) National Student Survey (NSS) data submitted by their own students from 2005 to 2024.

It also offers information on what institutions should do when responding to requests for such information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

The NSS data dissemination portal makes a range of data available to institutions. This includes:

• Anonymised student comments.
• Data from the additional bank of questions, which some institutions also opted to use.
• Data from the institution-specific questions, which some institutions also opted to use.
• Data from Covid questions asked to students in 2021 only
• Data from marketing question
• Data that does not make the ‘publication threshold’ used to publish NSS results publicly, but does reach the ‘reporting threshold’ (at least 10 responses) used on the NSS data dissemination portal. (From NSS 2015 onward, the ‘publication threshold’ is at least a 50 percent response rate and at least 10 responses.)

Process:

Access to the NSS data dissemination portal is via a password-protected system operated by Texuna. If you are one of the nominated data dissemination portal contacts and have not received a password, please complete the service request form found: https://nss.texunatech.com/ui/accessrequest.

The nominated NSS data dissemination portal super user at your institution may create up to 30 users; however, this super user must ensure that these individuals are also aware of this guidance.

Guidelines for institutions and students' unions on the use of NSS data in public materials:

The use of NSS results publicly in marketing and publicity materials is subject to several restrictions, depending on the type of data.

Please note that the publication thresholds (a minimum 50% response rate and at least 10 students) must be adhered to at all levels. Any results below this threshold may not be released publicly.

Theme measures:

As part of the NSS results, we produce theme measures which summarise the data by combining responses to similar questions. In 2024, the OfS and UK funding and regulatory bodies conducted a feedback exercise on publication of the NSS results which included proposed changes to theme measures for NSS 2024 results publication from seven themes to six themes. See:https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/update-on-theme-measures-benchmarking-and-response-thresholds-in-the-nss/

Following this feedback exercise, the OfS and UK funding and regulatory bodies made the decision to publish the NSS 2024 results with seven themes, which is consistent with NSS 2023. This also means that these theme measures are no longer experimental statistics for NSS 2024.

Use of NSS data in marketing materials:

Published NSS data – these are the results of the core and additional questions which are now available on the OfS website (at CAH-level) and Discover Uni website (at course-level) which will be available in October 2024. This data may be used in the following ways:

• The results from the published NSS data can be used in marketing materials and may be attributed to the NSS.
• The publication thresholds of a 50% response rate and 10 responses must be adhered to at all levels.

Unpublished NSS data – these are the results of the core and additional questions, the optional bank questions and the institution-specific questions at course-level which are available on the NSS Results Portal only. The results from the unpublished NSS data are subject to restrictions depending on the type and quality of the data being shared. This data may be used in the following ways:

• The results from the unpublished NSS data are largely for internal purposes only, to identify and develop activities for quality enhancement.
• The results from the unpublished NSS data (including optional bank questions or institution-specific questions) can be used in marketing materials but may not be attributed to the NSS. In order for results to be used in marketing materials, the publication thresholds of a 50% response rate and 10 responses must be adhered to at all levels.
• Open text comments (in response to the open text question which asks, ‘Looking back on the experience, are there any particularly positive or negative aspects you would like to highlight?’) are considered unpublished NSS data. This qualitative data may only be paraphrased in marketing materials, as long as they do not identify any individuals and are not attributed to the NSS.
• Open text comments from institution-specific questions may not be used in marketing materials.
• Institutions are able to share open text comments data between themselves and a third party but this must be on the basis of the third party processing data on behalf of the institution for the purposes set out in the NSS privacy notice. The institution must ensure that a data sharing agreement is in place with the third party with contractual provisions that the data is not shared with any other party.

Guidelines for use of COVID questions:

The 2021 NSS included 6 additional questions relating to students’ experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of these questions were not published at institution level due to variations in response rates across the sector. These results are available through the NSS Results Portal and are largely for internal enhancement purposes only. However, they may be used publicly in marketing and publicity materials, subject to the following:

• Publication thresholds (a minimum 50% response rate and at least 10 students) must be adhered to at all levels. Any results below this threshold may not be published.
• When deciding whether to publish COVID question responses, due consideration should be given to the reliability of the result, and whether they provide helpful information to those who will see the data. This is for institutions to determine, as it has not been assessed by the OfS.

Note: The COVID questions were only collected in 2021, but will remain on the portal for historic and reporting purposes. Data is only stored for the 2021 year.

National Student Survey 2023 and 2024:

In 2020, the Office for Students (OfS) and the UK funding and regulatory bodies began a two-stage review of the NSS with an aim to ensure the NSS remains fit for purpose and continues to support regulation and student information across the UK.

In 2022, the OfS  consulted on potential changes to the NSS that would take effect from 2023 and published analysis of responses and decisions taken.

As a result, the survey questions and response scales have changed for NSS 2023. The main changes include:

• New direct questions with a 4-point item specific response scale for core and additional questions, replacing the Likert response scale (with the exception of the overall satisfaction question, healthcare practice placement questions and optional bank questions). 
• A new additional question on mental wellbeing services.
• A new additional question on freedom of expression, which is asked to students in England only.
• The overall satisfaction question is asked to students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland only.
• An expansion of the student characteristics splits presented in the results.
• Introduction of suppression thresholds for cases where everyone (or all but one) in a group responds negatively.
• Updated structure for the dissemination data results files.

For 2023, the optional bank questions and the healthcare, allied health and clinical practice placement questions, their response scales remain the same.

For NSS 2024, the questionnaire will be the same as the NSS 2023.

These are the first major changes to the survey since the previous review of the NSS in 2017.

As a result of these changes the following caveats apply to the data and to its use:

• Comparison of data: It is not valid to compare question level responses from NSS 2023 and NSS 2024 with those from previous years and such comparisons should not be undertaken.  We do not endorse any presentations of the data which compare or aggregate question-level data in this way.
• Time series: As the questionnaire has changed, it is no longer statistically robust to create time series data at question level that includes 2023 and 2024 data alongside data from previous years, even where the questions remained unchanged.
• Question level aggregation: Question level responses from 2023 and 2024 should not be directly aggregated with (compiled together with) data from 2022 or any previous years.

Please note that if no data is available for a particular course or institution where students were surveyed, the data did not meet publication thresholds. This does not reflect on the quality of the course or institution. It may be because the course is new or it is small, or we have not received enough survey responses.

In 2023, the Office for Students hosted a technical consultation where it consulted on the approach to publishing NSS results for the 2023 survey and beyond.

As a result, the NSS results portal has changed for NSS 2023 onwards. The main changes include:

• Updated and newly introduced student characteristic splits 
• Updated structure for the dissemination data results files 
• Introduction of suppression thresholds

The outcomes from the technical consultation can be found here.

National Student Survey 2017-2022:

Following a major review, the NSS was substantially revised in 2017. These were the first major changes to the survey since its establishment in 2005.

The 2017 survey, therefore, used a different main questionnaire from that used in 2016 and previous years. The 2017 questionnaire can be downloaded from https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20180405115121/http:/www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2016/CL,302016/

The main changes to the survey in 2017 were:

• Inclusion of 9 new questions on student engagement
• Amendment of questions on Learning Resources and on Assessment and Feedback
• Removal of largely duplicative questions
• Transfer of personal development questions to optional banks.

While some questions within the survey remained the same before and after 2017, including the final question on overall satisfaction, the following caveats apply to the data and to its use.

• Comparison of data: It is not valid to compare question level responses from 2017 with those from 2016 or previous years and such comparisons should not be undertaken.  We do not endorse any presentations of the data which compare or aggregate question-level data in this way.
• Time series: As the questionnaire has changed, it is no longer statistically robust to create time series data at question level that includes 2017 data alongside data from previous years, even where the questions remained unchanged.
• Question level aggregation: Question level responses from 2017 should not be directly aggregated with (compiled together with) data from 2016 or previous years.

Please note that if no data is available for a particular course or institution where students were surveyed, the data did not meet publication thresholds. This does not reflect on the quality of the course or institution. It may be because the course is new or it is small, or we have not received enough survey responses.

Enquiries under FOIA and FOISA:

Public bodies are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), which enables members of the public the right to request information from these public bodies, as well as the right to be told whether a public body holds the information (in most cases). 

When dealing with requests for information under FOIA and FOISA relating to the NSS data, institutions should take guidance from their information governance practitioner and, where applicable, the appropriate regulatory body with responsibility for upholding information rights; the Information Commissioner’s Office for FOIA, and the Scottish Information Commissioner for FOISA. Where appropriate, institutions should inform the OfS of requests to help ensure responses are consistent. 

Institutions may need to consider exemptions to the disclosure of information not already published on the Discover Uni or OfS websites, and whether additional information should be provided under FOIA or FOISA: 

• With regards to statistical data, the OfS does not publish data below the reliability publication threshold (50 per cent response rate and at least 10 students responding) because this may misinform student choice. If institutions decide to disclose this information, they may wish to provide the requester with additional context by making reference to OfS policy. 
• With regards to personal data, disclosure may be exempt under FOIA section 40(2) or FOISA section 38(2) (personal data relating to third parties). 

Personal Data:

Personal data must be processed in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation and UK Data Protection Act 2018. Institutions should take guidance from their information governance practitioner and, where applicable, the Information Commissioner’s Office, who have responsibility for upholding information rights.

The NSS privacy statement informs students that their responses will be used solely for research purposes, and all results will be anonymised and provided in the form of statistical information only. Institutions should bear in mind that although names are removed from the responses and feedback, it may still be possible for those working at an institution to identify themselves and others.  informs students that their responses will be used solely for research purposes, and all results will be anonymised and provided in the form of statistical information only. Institutions should bear in mind that although names are removed from the responses and feedback, it may still be possible for those working at an institution to identify themselves and others. 

Additionally, some results may be based on small groups of students which could identify individuals in rare circumstances or if used inappropriately. For NSS 2023 onwards, in cases where all the students in a group responded negatively (or all responded and all but one were negative), a suppression threshold has been introduced. For these cases, data is suppressed and replaced with a marker. Users should not use or manipulate the data to attempt to identify individuals, or in a way that it is likely to facilitate their inadvertent identification.

Copyright and Right in Databases Regulations:

The OfS, on behalf of the Wales's Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (Medr), the Department for Economy, Northern Ireland (DfENI), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), wishes to exercise its right to prevent unauthorised extraction and/or re-utilisation of the whole or a substantial part of the NSS database. This right is described in the Statutory Instrument 1997, No. 3032 (The Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997). The other UK funding and regulatory bodies have unlimited access to the database for institutions in their nations for their own regulatory purposes. Texuna may use the database for purposes in connection with the NSS while under contract to the OfS. Institutions and named students’ unions should only use the database for the purposes described in the privacy notice. The OfS reserves the right to take regulatory action in respect of any infringements of these guidelines.