The results from the 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) Survey will be available on Tuesday 4 June 2013. 1204 adults living across Northern Ireland took part, and the survey explored attitudes towards autism, community relations, minority ethnic groups, migrant workers, asylum seekers, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bixsexual and transgender) issues, and much more! The results will be available online at www.ark.ac.uk/nilt. Two seminars will be held to mark this release, and further details are below.

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Karola Dillenburger, Julie-Ann Jordan and Lynne McKerr (School of Education, Queen's University Belfast) will use 2012 NILT data to explore knowledge and public attitudes to the social, employment, educational and housing issues facing people with autism, as well as highlighting personal experiences.

The seminar will take place on Tuesday 4 June, at 11.30, followed by a light lunch, and will be held in the Canada Room, Lanyon Building, Queen's University Belfast. Everyone is welcome, and the event is free. However, places need to be booked by Tuesday 28 May, by phone at 028 7167 5513 or by email info@ark.ac.uk

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This seminar on Thursday 6 June 2013 will examine public attitudes towards the long term future for Northern Ireland and how these attitudes have changed over time. These 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey results will be analysed and presented by Dr Duncan Morrow (University of Ulster). Professor Rick Wilford (Queen's University Belfast) will respond and discuss the findings in the light of the current political situation.

The event will be held in Room 82A31 Belfast campus, University of Ulster. Registration/coffee is at 10am, the seminar runs from 10.30 to noon. Everyone is welcome. The Seminar is free of charge but registration is essential as places are limited. Please register either by phone 028 71675513 or email info@ark.ac.uk

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Every year, ARK offers policy makers, researchers and anyone concerned with young people's issues the opportunity to get an overview of the key results of the most recent Young Life and Times (YLT) survey, before the full survey results are being released to the general public. This launch event will be held as part of Community Relations Week, and we will consequently focus on YLT survey findings related to Community Relations, Equality and Diversity (CRED), as well as shared education. The seminar will be held at Queen's University (Canada Room, Lanyon Building) on 23rd May 2013, 12.00-14.00. The seminar is free, but places must be booked, via e-mail at e.gray@qub.ac.uk or phone 028 9097 5906.

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Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, attended a private briefing at the University of Ulster on the work of CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet). She met with Dr Martin Melaugh (CAIN Director) and Professor Gillian Robinson, (Director of ARK).

The following day she commented in a debate in the House of Commons (23rd April 2013):
I pay tribute to the work that is being done by many groups and organisations in Northern Ireland to help people understand the past and give them a chance to tell their stories. Yesterday I visited the University of Ulster to learn more about its CAIN-ARK network, a resource shared with Queen's University Belfast which has had 64 million page views and which contains a huge amount of material on the troubles. I encourage anyone who wants to understand Northern Ireland's past to visit the website.

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ARK produces a range of publications, including Research Updates and fact sheets. Most of these are available online.
Three Research Updates will be published soon:

• Shared Education: Views of Children and Young People, by Katrina Lloyd, uses data from the 2012 Kids' Life and Times and Young Life and Times (YLT) Surveys
• In the mix, by Paula Devine, looks at cross-community contact using 2012 YLT data
• Autism Spectrum Disorder: Public awareness and attitudes, by Karola Dillenburger, Julie-Ann Jordan and Lyn McKerr, uses data from the 2012 NI Life and Times Survey

These reports will be available online in the next few weeks - so check back soon!
For a full list of publications, as well as links, visit our Publications page.

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ARK is a joint initiative between Queen's University and the University of Ulster, and began in 2000. Our mission is to make social science knowledge on Northern Ireland easily accessible to the widest possible audience. Most of our dissemination is via our website at www.ark.ac.uk, which is divided into four main areas:

• Surveys
• Conflict, Politics and Elections
• Policy, Research and Resources
• Outreach, Dissemination and Training - including publications and events

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