Extension for the Longitudinal Studies Centre - Scotland from 2012 to 2017

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Overall we aim to continue to develop the SLS, extending its potential through the addition of new datasets, expanding its research user base by making the data more accessible and extending its coverage through a mechanism for UK level studies.Our 7 objectives are to:1. Enhance the SLS through linkages to new datasets including the 2011 census The key focus of the first two years will be the linking of the 2011 census to the SLS. This work will be considerable.We will however also:- link the Scottish Mental Survey of 1947 to the SLS. This will produce a sample of n~ 3000-3500 and provide information on the age, social class of the cohort's parents, and after the 1980s detailed health and census based information. - establish links, explore the validity and reliability of two main sources of child health surveillance data. Beyond 2014 we will be discussing with:- a number of data holders, the possibility of linking their data to the SLS during the period 2012-2014. This will include the holders of: further and higher education data, information on educational attainment in private schools, social security, dental and prescribing data.- NRS whether it might be feasible to develop a system that would allow 'special' samples of 'SLSs' to be drawn from a 100% population spine producing bespoke 'SLSs'. 2. Support access and use of the SLS by researchersThe core work of the SLS is supporting researchers through the whole life cycle of an SLS research project from application, preparation and data analysis, to publication dissemination. We also organise web-based resources that will help make use of the SLS easier and provide training on the SLS and longitudinal data handling, analysis and modelling through a series of workshops and seminars.3. Maintain the SLS and safe setting We will continue with the core maintenance tasks of the study. 4. Engage and collaborate with other ESRC investmentsWe will work towards a greater integration of the LSes. We will actively support the UK Census Longitudinal Study Development Hub in particular providing significant research support for a project to create a synthetic dataset that can be made available to researchers more flexibly. 5. Promote the research potential of the SLSWe will continue to participate in national and international conferences promoting longitudinal analysis and the SLS. Our website is also an important vehicle not only for advertising the research potential of the SLS, but also for encouraging access to the resource and promoting the outputs and impacts that have already been achieved by researchers using the dataset.6. Promote the impact of the SLSThe SLS already has a track record of directly promoting the impact of its research. Firstly we plan to conduct impact case-studies on a sample of SLS-based projects. We would also seek to continue to hold regular annual presentations and discussion workshops with key government departments. A third avenue of impact promotion planned is to approach professional private-sector bodies to discuss the types of issues directly relevant to their work which might be effectively explored using the SLS. 7. Conduct methodological development workA disadvantage of the current access to SLS data is that users must either visit the safe setting in the SLS unit or submit code to be run by SLS staff. The idea of synthetic data is that simulated data are produced that do not correspond to any real individuals or organisations, but maintain the distributions and the relationships between the variables that exist in the original. This can therefore be used outside the safe setting. We aim to develop a method to produce safe synthetic versions of the SLS.We will also test the validity, reliability and utility of any new data being introduced into the SLS.