An introduction to the ONS Longitudinal Study - the largest longitudinal data resource in England and Wales Seminar

The ONS Longitudinal Study (LS) contains linked census and vital event data for 1 per cent of the population of England and Wales. Information from the 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 Censuses has been linked across censuses and with vital events data such as births, deaths and cancer registrations. Data from event registrations from 1971 to 2009 are now available on the LS database. The LS was set up in 1974 to address problems with the adequacy of occupational mortality data, and the lack of longitudinal fertility data, but since then it has been used to address a wide range of other research questions.The longitudinal nature of the study permits life-course and inter-generational analyses.

Individual-level information enables the use of multivariate statistical techniques. It is hoped that this overview will help researchers decide whether the LS is appropriate for their research. James Robards will also give some insights into his PhD research using the LS to explore recent changes in fertility in England and Wales.