About the event

Longitudinal data are a powerful resource for addressing a wide range of scientific questions in various social, health, political and geographical sciences.

For example, what determines health across life? How has social mobility changed? What determines voting preferences?

This workshop gave both first-time and more experienced data users an insight into four of the UK’s internationally-renowned cohort studies run by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS):

• 1958 National Child Development Study;
• 1970 British Cohort Study;
• Millennium Cohort Study;
• Next Steps (previously known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England).

Delegates were given an introduction to each of the cohort studies as well as further information on how to access and use them. There was also updates on recent developments in each of the studies, including upcoming new data releases.

The session featured guest speakers who discussed their use of cohort data across a range of topics such as transition to primary school in Scotland, social inequality and general cognitive ability, and selective schooling and adult health.

Delegates had the opportunity to discuss their own research ideas, gain advice and ask questions over a networking lunch.

The workshop was run by staff from CLS, which is based at the Department of Social Science, UCL Institute of Education.

Speakers

• Dr. Adriana Duta (Research Fellow, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh)
• Dr David Bann (Associate Professor and Co-Investigator of NCDS, Centre for Longitudinal Studies)
• Andrew Guthrie (Q-Step final year student, University of Edinburgh)
• Dr Morag Henderson (Co-Investigator of Next Steps, Centre for Longitudinal Studies)
• Dr Vanessa Moulton (Research Associate, Centre for Longitudinal Studies)
• Professor Vernon Gayle (Professor of Sociology and Social Statistics, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh)
• Dr Welcome Wami (Research Associate, MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow)

Workshop resources

Speaker slides

Londitudinal Data Across Life: An Introduction To Using Cohort Data

An Introduction To The National Child Development Study

An Introduction To The 1970 British Birth Cohort (BCS70)

An Introduction To Next Steps

An Introduction To The Millennium Cohort Study