The Social Survey began in 1941 and has now been engaged in survey res
earch for an uninterrupted period of fifty years. This article reviews
the most recent decade of that period and describes important changes
that have taken place in the administration of the organisation, some
of the main pieces of social research carried out, and a number of de
velopments in the methods used for survey investigations. During the 1
980s better business practices and survey techniques enabled Social Su
rvey to expand its range of activities and generally to improve the qu
ality of its services and the efficiency of its operations.