Why longitudinal research?
The development of longitudinal studies over the last decade has underpinned advances in social science method and in understanding of major social changes and policy interventions. The UK has taken a particularly prominent role in the development of longitudinal studies, with its unique portfolio of birth cohort studies, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Longitudinal Study of the Census and the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). These studies provide an understanding of social change, of the trajectories of individual life histories and of the dynamic processes that underlie social and economic life. Their fundamental role in social science and policy research is the core rationale for the continued investment in longitudinal studies in the UK. In common with most western societies, the UK is undergoing considerable socio-economic change. We have an ageing population, increasing diversity of ethnic background and rising levels of instability in both working careers and fami
