Longitudinal Data Analysis
for
Social Science Researchers
UK research training
ESRC Researcher Develpment Initiative
The RDI programme, of which this project is a part, is a major programme of research and training intended to raise research standards in the UK. The programmes supports activities across the range of the social sciences.
ESRC National Centre for Research Methods and Research Methods Programme
These two major programmes forms part of the ESRC's strategy to improve the standards of research methods across the UK social science community. The RMP ran from 2002-2007 (but still has links to many useful resources), and NCRM from 2007 onwards. Aims include :
The NCRM also coordinates numerous online publications and working papers relevant to longitudinal data analysis. Two such papers that we recommend are:
Economic and Social Data Service - User Support
The ESDS is an organisation concerned with promoting the analysis of a range of social science data resources. It's 'longitudinal' and 'government' sections contain information and user support resources on several large scale quantiative longitudinal datasets - including software guides, live help desks, guides to specific datasets, and guides to social survey variable operationalisations. Most of the ESDS's help resources can be found through their 'user support' page above, which includes further links to pages within ESDS Government and ESDS Longitudinal.
The ESRC Survey Resources Network launched in 2009 offering materials on various aspects of social survey research, including incorporating the UK Question Bank.
LEMMA is a online resource covering a 'Learning Environment for Multilevel Methodology and Applications'. It features introductory and advanced materials on multilevel models and on statistical analysis generally.
Practical Examplars on the Analysis of Surveys (PEAS)
A project funded within the ESRC's Research Methods Programme, the PEAS website concentrates on giving guidance on methodological issues in survey research. It includes theoretical notes and descriptions of survey analysis techniques, practical guides to a selection of secondary survey datasets, and extended materials on the use of 4 major statstical software packages (SPSS, STATA, SAS and R) for the purposes of survey analysis.
Essex Summer School in Social Science Data Analysis
The Essex Summer School is a long-running and extremely popular source of social science training. It encompasses a large variety of two-week training courses covering various techniques of social science data analysis and survey data management.
Collection of Historical Contemporary
Census Data and Related Materials (CHCC)
The central aim of the project is to increase use of the CHCC in learning and
teaching by:
The CHCC site includes a large volume of introductory training materials on techniques of data analysis and on the use of SPSS.
Centre for Longitudinal
Studies
The Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) is a research centre within the
Bedford Group for Lifecourse and Statisitical Studies in the Institute
of Education devoted to the collection, management and analysis of large
scale, longitudinal data.
CLS holds responsibility for Britain's internationally renowned birth cohort studies: the National Child Development Study (1958 cohort) and the 1970 British Cohort Study, and leads the consortium conducting the Economic and Social Research Council's new Millennium Cohort Study.
CLS conducts research using the birth cohort study data, with a special interest in family life and parenting, family economics, youth life course transitions and basic skills. It publishes working papers about the cohort studies, and in the past, the ONS Longitudinal Study (historical working papers from the ONS-LS are still available from CLS).
Quantitative
Methods in the Social Sciences
QMSS aims to strengthen the human capacity in Europe to analyse large and
complex datasets, in particular by encouraging the development of pan-European
networks of junior researchers. It will be run through a series of workshops/seminars
which will provide opportunities for junior researchers to undertake high-level
training in the latest developments in quantitative methods and for junior
and senior researchers to interact and share ideas and expertise based
upon recent research. These workshops will be organized within different
topic areas, such as Analysis of Longitudinal Data, Collection and Analysis
of Network Data, Analysis of Cross-National Cross-Sectional Data, Design
and Analysis of Intervention Studies, and Measurement, Data Collection
and Data Quality. The programme will run from 2003-2007.
Centre Applied
Statistics
The Centre for Applied Statistics is a strong research group within
Faculty of Applied Sciences at Lancaster University. The Centre provides:
Statistical consultancy service; Postgraduate masters and research
degrees; Short courses.
Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research
The Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research (CCSR) offers a wide range of short course training in quantative research methods and data analysis. Courses are offered at introductory, intermediate and advanced level.
Research Capacity Building Network
The purpose of the RCBN is to support the research capacity building activities of the TLRP and, where possible, extend these to the wider educational research community. In particular, the RCBN has been established to facilitate the sharing of research skills, knowledge and expertise, largely by providing and brokering needs-directed research capacity-building activities on a voluntary and career-development basis.
Intute for social scientists
Intute is a freely available Internet service which aims to provide a trusted source of selected, high quality Internet information for students, academics, researchers and practitioners in the social sciences, business and law. It is part of the UK Resource Discovery Network. Intute has taken over from the previous 'SOSIG' service.
