SOUTHAMPTON UK POPULATION LAB SCOPING PROJECTS

The proposed research takes the evidence from published and unpublished work on the design, implementation and analysis of longitudinal studies, and uses it to develop strategies which can be considered for longitudinal data investments in the UK. This includes the maintenance and development of existing sources as well as the potential for development of new ones. It covers modern approaches to supplementing survey data collection with administrative data, and a variety of different methods which provide information for the general population and for specific groups of interest. It balances the risk and complexity of advanced approaches against the need for simplicity to make these data sources available to researchers, and against efficiency. Efficiency is important to make the best use of scarce resources to manage and develop the UK's longitudinal data infrastructure.

The outputs from these investigations of six areas of survey design will provide recommendations for the design of future longitudinal studies and the analysis of all the ESRC's longitudinal data investments. The direct impact is on the way in which these studies are implemented and used, which is expected to affect the ESRC and the bodies which undertake these surveys. The information should provide information to use funding efficiently, and therefore maximise the effectiveness of investments. Ultimately the research will benefit the users of longitudinal studies - academics and policymakers who use the information to make public services as efficient and effective as possible.