Accessing data via public data repositories

The vast majority of CLS research data are publicly available through the UK Data Service, although there are a few specialised data available in other public data repositories.

UK Data Service

The UK Data Service is a public data repository based at the University of Essex. The following links will take you to the relevant area of the UK Data Service for each of our four studies:

• 1958 National Child Development Study
• 1970 British Cohort Study
• Next Steps
• Millennium Cohort Study

Access to data held by the UK Data Service varies depending on how we have de-identified and classified the data (CLS Data Classification Policy):

• Tier 1, or ‘safeguarded’ data: End User Licence (EUL) for access to data with a low level of sensitivity and disclosivity. Most of our data are available under this licence. Your application is authorised directly by the UK Data Service, and you can download the data directly from there.
• Tier 2a ‘safeguarded’ data: Special Licence (SL) for access to moderately sensitive or disclosive data. You will need to apply for access through the UK Data Service and your application needs to be approved by CLS before you can download the data..
• Tier 2b ‘controlled’ data: Secure Access Licence (SA) for access to the most sensitive and/or potentially disclosive data. You will need to apply for access through the UK Data Service and attend a specialised training course. Your application needs to then be approved by CLS before you can download the data. You can only access these data via a UK Data Service Secure Lab account.

You can find more information about the different types of data access at the UKDS on their webpages.

Other public repositories

• Welsh administrative data linked to the Millennium Cohort Study can be remotely accessed via the SAIL Databank. These data are Tier 2b.
• CLS genetic data (not linked to survey data) are publicly available for download from the European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA). Access requires an application to the Wellcome Trust Sanger Data Access Committee at datasharing@sanger.ac.uk. These data are Tier 2a.

To access CLS research data not available via these routes, including biological samples and genetic data linked to survey data, you need to apply directly to CLS.

For proposals to generate new linked data, new data collections or enrichment of legacy data, please visit Proposing data linkages and enhancements.