Director of CLOSER, Professor Alison Park introduces our new teaching resource, the CLOSER Learning Hub, an accessible beginner’s guide for those who are new to longitudinal studies.

Society today is facing a number of multifactorial problems with no one single cause and no simple solution. That’s why on 28 June, we are bringing together a panel of leading scientists to talk about their studies and how longitudinal research can help get to the heart of ‘wicked’ problems.

To coincide with the new MCS time use diary and accelerometer data release, Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) Survey Manager, Dr Emily Gilbert discusses how the use of new technology has enabled CLS to gain new insights into the lives of the millennial generation.

To coincide with mental health awareness week, Rob Davies, discusses the latest longitudinal evidence on young people’s mental health and the vital importance of the early years and early intervention.

Research on the performance of academy schools has been made a whole lot easier, writes Dr Bilal Nasim, Research Officer at the UCL Institute of Education.

Lack of data on the lives of separating and separated families is hindering effective policymaking for children and families, argues Jeremy Davies, Head of Communications at the Fatherhood Institute.

While personal stories contain a depth of detail that cannot be collected on a grand scale, statistical evidence provides the background against which exceptional cases can be seen in wider perspective, argues Professor Heather Joshi, founder of the Millennium Cohort Study.

Our world-class longitudinal studies are providing vital evidence to the Science and Technology Committee, but, argues Rob Davies, CLOSER Public Affairs Manager, only by expanding the evidence base can they further illuminate the lifelong consequences of childhood adversity.

Annette Jäckle cautions that before we rush headlong into adopting new technologies to help with survey data collection we need to recognise and address the new challenges they bring with them.

Dr Andy Skinner and Chris Stone believe that new technology has the potential to transform health data collection in the longitudinal community – and that there are already promising signs of this among early adopters.