Guide to Millennium Cohort Study
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ESDS Longitudinal provides:
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a web-based download service
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specialist user support (linking with specialist support provided by the Centre
for Longitudinal Studies (CLS))
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training and workshops
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a range of value-added data enhancements for a number of key UK longitudinal
data collections, including the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS)
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The MCS follows the lives of a sample of nearly 19,000 babies born between 1
September 2000 and 31 August 2001 in England and Wales, and between 22 November
2000 and 11 January 2002 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Information has been
collected from parents when the children were aged nine months and at around
three years of age. The sample design allowed for disproportionate
representation of families living in areas of child poverty, in the smaller
countries of the UK and in areas with high ethnic minority populations in
England.
The first survey recorded the circumstances of pregnancy and birth, as well as
those of the all-important early months of life, and the social and economic
background of the family into which the children have been born.
The study's broad objective is to create a new multi-purpose longitudinal
dataset, describing the diversity of backgrounds from which children born in
the new century are setting out on life.
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Access to the MCS
Users registered with the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) have access
to the MCS datasets via the instant download service or can analyse, visualise,
subset and download selected data from MCS via the online Nesstar software
tool.
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MCS datasets:
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ESDS Nesstar Catalogue:
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Exploring data online using the ESDS Nesstar Catalogue:
Users can register with ESDS at:
MCS - ESDS data holdings
The MCS data currently available via ESDS are surveys 1 to 4; a sub-study of mothers who received assisted fertility treatment; birth registration/maternity hospital episode data; a 3rd wave Teacher Survey and Foundation Stage Profile as well as a 4th wave Teacher Survey dataset. In addition, special licence data are available covering hospital of birth data; Ward; Census Lower Super Output Area (LSOA); and Output Area (OA) geographical identifiers data. The MCS team plan to deposit
additional data at a later date, including:

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further sub-studies on childcare and a health visitor survey are likely to be
accessible via special licence conditions only
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future main sweep data around 18 months after fieldwork is completed
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MCS data available via the Secure Data Service
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In November 2011, a 'First to Fourth Surveys, Linked Education Administrative Dataset' was made available via the Secure Data Service. These data are subject to strict conditions of access:
- First to Fourth Surveys, Linked Education Administrative Data at the Secure Data Service:
- Secure Data Service FAQs:
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MCS in Nesstar
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All four full MCS surveys; the MSC3 Teacher and foundation stage survey, and the MSC4 Teacher survey data are available to browse in Nesstar - . Non-registered users may browse
unweighted frequency counts and access the study's metadata. Users registered
with the ESDS may cross-tabulate variables, subset the data, weight their
results, create derived variables and download the study via Nesstar.
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MCS resources
There are a host of invaluable MCS resources available on the CLS web site, accessible via
See also the Survey Question Bank - Millennium Cohort Study - Overview:
Users are also welcome to keep up to date with MCS and other longitudinal data
developments via the ESDS Longitudinal JISCmail list and/or by registering
with the CLS.
User documentation
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ESDS user documentation for the MCS can be downloaded in the form of
multi-volume user guides in PDF format via the 'Doc' column at
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of MCS that are currently held by ESDS and include the Technical Report on
Response, Neighbourhood Assessment Form, Study Information and Citation, and
Guide to the Datasets.
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Key publications
CLS: Key publications:
CLS: Flagship publications:
For further work on the MCS, search the bibliography at:
www.esds.ac.uk/longitudinal longitudinal@esds.ac.uk
L33359 Guide to Millennium Cohort Study