A New Phase for UK Cohort Studies
The UK’s impressive array of cohort studies may be about to branch out internationally. A team composed of the Social Research Institute (SRI) at University College London and the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) at Manchester Metropolitan University, led by Prof. Lisa Calderwood of Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) and including Prof. Jennifer Symonds of CLOSER have won national funding from the ESRC to undertake a UK wide pilot study of the age 8 cohort for the Growing Up In Digital Europe (GUIDE) study. The GUIDE study was previously showcased in theback in September 2018. Back then, GUIDE was known as ‘EuroCohort’ and was at an earlier developmental phase. Much has happened since then. The GUIDE project will track children’s personal health, education, wellbeing and psychosocial development, in combination with key socio-demographic indicators as well as their experience and use of digital technologies in recognition of the increasing centrality of the digital in the lives of children. GUIDE is pan-European and uses nationally representative samples in participating countries as well as an input harmonised research design. These measures will enable a robust comparative analysis and a better understanding of how children’s wellbeing develops in response to children’s experiences of growing up in different European countries.
Why a Comparative Longitudinal Study Is Needed
While many countries already have birth and child cohort studies, each existing study has its own unique rationale resulting in a design aimed to fulfil a specific remit or set of research questions. Scientists and policy makers have long been interested in making comparisons between countries and yet there are fundamental challenges in doing so when there are significant differences in instrument content, fieldwork processes, samples and timeframes. At a cross-sectional level, there are important examples of successful surveys which have contributed to a better understanding of children’s health, education and socio-psychological development. In particular the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme for International Student Assessment (OECD PISA) and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study have become embedded into international comparisons of school age children. Why then is there not a comparative longitudinal study of children? This is the question that the European Union (EU) posed over ten years ago, asking scientists to assess the desirability and feasibility of such a study. A question which was answered in the affirmative on both counts.
Impact of digital advances
Since then, the EU have been supporting the development of the GUIDE study on the basis that this is a significant gap in Europe wide longitudinal survey data. As the study title suggests, it is increasingly important to investigate the ways in which children’s lives are impacted through the widespread use of digital technologies, for everyday life in the home, at school, for leisure and work. Developing research instruments which can provide data that will be relevant despite the rapid advances in digital technologies is a significant challenge, and the series of GUIDE pilot studies is helping to develop and refine these measures.
Pilot Studies across Europe
This pilot study will provide crucial information in the future planning for GUIDE in the UK and elsewhere in terms of sampling, fieldwork processes, and instrument validity. IPSOS UK have been awarded the contract to undertake the fieldwork and the SRI/MMU team is working closely with them. GUIDE pilot studies have already taken place in Croatia, Finland, France, Ireland and Slovenia, with further pilots currently taking place in Norway and Italy and a further pilot planned for Denmark in 2026. The full GUIDE survey is planned to take place in Autumn 2028 with a pan-European cohort of 8 year olds.
The Importance of Survey HarmonisationOur UK pilot project benefits from the GUIDE survey’s design and IT infrastructure, which were developed through a series of EU-funded initiatives. GUIDE's inclusion in the 2021 European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap highlights its status as a key infrastructural survey within the European research landscape, alongside the European Social Survey (ESS), the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), and the Generations and Gender Programme (GGP).
International survey research infrastructures are becoming an increasingly vital source of data for both scientists and policymakers. By employing input-harmonised designs, these surveys enable robust comparative analysis across countries and contexts without requiring extensive adaptation. This contrasts with the challenges posed by comparing surveys that differ in instruments, sampling methods, fieldwork procedures, and timeframes.
Survey Launch and Long-Term DesignThe first full wave of the GUIDE survey is currently planned to start fieldwork in 2028 with nationally representative samples of 8-year-olds and their parents/carers taking place across Europe. These samples will be followed until the children are aged 24 with data collection waves every three years. The GUIDE research design also includes plans for a birth (nine-month-old) cohort which will begin approximately two years after the age 8 cohort has begun. This dual cohort structure will generate a wealth of data on children over the coming years, helping us to better understand the longitudinality of child and young person inequalities, and therefore provide evidence for those able to redress such inequalities. GUIDE has steadily built the foundations for a comparative European study on wellbeing of children and young people, and the GUIDE-RI will enable researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to explore how different environmental factors affect children’s development over time.
An international collaboration
The GUIDE consortium includes scientists from most European countries and from a broad range of scientific disciplines. Originally led by Manchester Metropolitan University, GUIDE now shares the leadership with University College Dublin. Key strategic partners within the GUIDE consortium include University College Dublin (Ireland), University of Bologna (Italy), Institut National d'Études Démographiques (France), the German Youth Institute and the Federal Institute for Population Research (Germany), Centerdata (The Netherlands), HIVA and the University of Antwerp (Belgium), the Science and Research Centre Koper (Slovenia), Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex, and of course, CLS and CLOSER at UCL. The consortium includes experts in survey methodology, child and youth development and wellbeing, public health, demographic science, economics, psychology, and sociology. GUIDE contributes to cross-cultural research and brings together scientists and professionals from all over Europe, all employing varied modes of working, interacting, and thinking. This collaborative model ensures that GUIDE is not only scientifically rigorous, but also policy-relevant and ethically grounded. Moreover, GUIDE has received explicit support from UNICEF and EuroChild, both of whom are valued members of the international advisory board and who recognise the importance of a comparative longitudinal approach. Together, these partners bring a wealth of expertise and regional insight to the consortium’s mission.
Looking Ahead: Opportunities and Challenges
GUIDE is well-equipped to make a transformative impact on child wellbeing research in Europe. However, its success depends on:
- Sustained national investments in infrastructure and data collection
- Cross-national cooperation and harmonisation of methodologies
- Inclusive and ethical engagement with children, families, and communities
GUIDE will offer unparalleled insights into the lives of children growing up in Europe, thus informing policies that are more responsive, equitable, and effective.
Conclusion: A Shared Vision for Europe’s Children
GUIDE represents a bold step forward in social research. By investing in longitudinal, comparative data, Europe can better understand the experiences of its youngest citizens and build a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Author Bio: Gary Pollock is professor of sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University and is co-director of Growing Up In Digital Europe, having initiated the study and led a series of EU funded projects which have supported its development.
Acknowledgements
The GUIDE UK pilot study is funded by the ESRC under grant number UKRI1673