Longitudinal studies track the same people throughout their lives, helping us understand how life in the UK is changing. In this module, you will learn the basics of longitudinal research – what the studies are, how they work, who they follow, and why we need them.
Suggested citation:
Park, A. & Rainsberry, M. (2020). Introduction to longitudinal Studies
A longitudinal study is a observational study that follows the same subjects repeatedly over a period of time, in some cases from birth to death. The UK is home to the largest and longest-running collection of longitudinal studies in the world.
There are a range of different types of longitudinal studies: cohort studies, panel studies, record linkage studies. These studies may be either prospective or retrospective in nature.
Each time the studies collect new information about their participants’ lives, they are adding rich new data to what is already known about them.
How much have you learned about longitudinal studies? When you have completed all the sections in this module, take the quiz to test how much you know.
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