The day introduced three of Britain’s internationally renowned national longitudinal birth cohort studies.

Course Leader: Professor Peter Shepherd, Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, London

The day introduced three of Britain’s internationally renowned national longitudinal birth cohort studies:

  • 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS)
  • 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70)
  • Millennium Cohort Study (MCS)

These studies followed groups of individuals who were born at one particular time throughout their lives and have involved multiple surveys, collecting information on education and employment, family and parenting, physical and mental health, and social attitudes.  By comparing the different generations in the three cohorts, we can chart social change and start to untangle the reasons behind it.

Data from the studies are available for research purposes from the UK Data Archive and offer a unique opportunity to explore a wide variety of research questions. Their multipurpose nature makes it possible to use them to address research questions in the areas of, for example:

  • Employment and the labour market
  • Children, parenting and childcare
  • Earnings and income
  • Growth and development in childhood
  • Health and health-related behaviour
  • Attitudes and expectations
  • Basic skills, education and training
  • Ageing process
  • Housing, migration and neighbourhood
  • Survey methods
  • Relationships
  • Analysis of longitudinal data

Links between different life domains can also be investigated.

The cohort studies managed by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS), an ESRC Resource Centre based at the Institute of Education, University of London.  During the day, CLS staff provided:

  • An introduction to the studies
  • Summaries of exemplar analyses
  • Q&A/advice session