Dr Sally Stares (LSE Fellow)

I completed my PhD in the Institute of Social Psychology at the LSE. I studied as a Masters student here in the Methodology Institute and as an undergraduate at the University of Cambridge.

Research

My research is based around the theme of social measurement, in particular how to capture complex social constructs using quantitative techniques, and how to understand the extent to which such measures can be validly compared across different contexts. I study this methodological theme in two areas of substantive application: public perceptions of science and technology, and civil society.

A good deal of the empirical analysis I do is based on cross-national public opinion surveys, and involves latent variable models. My PhD dissertation is about latent trait and latent class models in survey analysis. In it I use data from Eurobarometer surveys on public perceptions of biotechnology to demonstrate some of the ways in which these models can be employed to address common challenges in survey research: capturing complex constructs, taking account of 'don't know' responses, and exploring the comparability of measures between groups - in this instance, between countries.  In my ongoing research I continue to work on public perceptions of various aspects of science and technology, as well as on public opinion and social attitudes and values more broadly, particularly as they relate to aspects of civil society. I participate with colleagues in the MI in the STEPE project (http://www.stepe.eu/ |), and I work with colleagues in the Centre for the Study of Global Governance on a number of research themes, including notably the Global Civil Society Yearbook ( http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/yearbook09.htm|).

Selected publications

• Mejlgaard, N. and Stares, S. (forthcoming) Participation and competence as joint components in a cross-national analysis of scientific citizenship. Public Understanding of Science. Prepublished (online first) June 26 2009. DOI: 10.1177/0963662509335456.
• Stares, S. (2009) Using latent class models to explore cross-national typologies of public engagement with science and technology in Europe. Science, Technology and Society, 14(2), 289–329.
• Stares, S. (2009) Global civil society and poverty statistics. In Kumar, A., Scholte, J.A., Kaldor, M., Seckinelgin, H., and Anheier, H. (eds) (2009) Global Civil Society 2009: Poverty and Activism. London: Sage.
• Gaskell, G., Stares, S., Allansdottir, A., Allum, N., Corchero, C., Fischler, C., Hampel, J., Jackson, J., Kronberger, N., Mejlgaard, N., Revuelta, G., Schreiner, C., Torgersen, H., & Wagner, W. (2006). Europeans and Biotechnology in 2005: Patterns and trends (Eurobarometer 64.3): Report to the EC Directorate General for Research .
• Anheier, H., Stares, S., & Grenier, P. (2004). Social capital and life satisfaction. In W. Arts & L. Halman (Eds.), European Values at the Turn of the Millennium. Leiden: Brill.
• Gaskell, G., Allum, N., & Stares, S. (2003). Europeans and Biotechnology in 2002 (Eurobarometer 58.0): Report to the EC Directorate General for Research from the project 'Life Sciences in European Society'.  http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/eb/ebs_177_en.pdf
• Anheier, H., & Stares, S. (2002). Introducing the Global Civil Society Index. In M. Glasius, M. Kaldor & H. Anheier (Eds.), Global Civil Society 2002. Oxford: Oxford University Press.