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Growing Up in Ireland Child Cohort Data Archived

Growing Up in Ireland would like to announce that the Anonymised Microdata File (AMF) from Wave 1 of the Child Cohort (at 9 years) is now available from the Irish Social Science Data Archive (ISSDA) http://issda.ucd.ie

This initial dataset includes anonymised details on 8,500 nine-year-old children, born between 1st November 1997 and 31st October 1998, in addition to their parents, principals and teachers. Data collection for this group took place between September 2007 and May 2008. The Anonymised Microdata File (AMF) provides many of the key variables from Wave 1 of the Child Cohort and has been prepared in such a way as to protect the anonymity of all participants. The datafile is accompanied by a set of documents describing the data, their structure and content.

Accessing the Data

Potential users wishing to access the anonymised data should apply to the Irish Social Science Data Archive (ISSDA) at http://issda.ucd.ie The information contained on the file can be used for statistical purposes only – to use it for any other purpose would be an offence, under the Statistics Act, 1993.

Data Workshops

The first in a series of Data Workshops to promote and support the use of the data will be held on the provisional date of Wednesday 14th July 2010 from 10.00 am to 2.30 pm at the offices of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin. Training will cover a range of topics and is designed to give a comprehensive overview of the conduct of the study, the data themselves and supporting documentation. Those interested in attending a Growing Up in Ireland Data Workshop should contact guiworkshop@esri.ie. Subsequent workshops will be scheduled in response to demand. Places on each workshop will be strictly limited and allocated on a ‘first-come first-served’ basis.

About Growing Up in Ireland

Growing Up in Ireland is the national longitudinal study of children. It is the most significant study of its kind ever to have been undertaken in this country and will help us to improve our understanding of all aspects of children and their development. Taking place over seven years, the study is following the progress of two groups of children; the Child Cohort which includes 8,500 nine-year-olds and the Infant Cohort which includes 11,000 nine-month-olds. During the initial seven years of the project two rounds of interviews will take place with each group of children and their families – at 9 years and 13 years for the Child Cohort and at 9 months and 3 years for the Infant Cohort. The main aim of the study is to paint a full picture of children in Ireland and how they are developing in the current social, economic and cultural environment. This information will be used to assist in policy formation and in the provision of services which will ensure all children have the best possible start in life. The first in a series of research reports from the project, ‘Growing Up in Ireland – the Lives of 9-Year-Olds’ was published in December 2009 and is available to download from www.growingup.ie/childpublications

About ISSDA

The Irish Social Science Data Archive (ISSDA) is located in University College, Dublin. It holds a range of data from surveys and official statistics (such as the Census) and makes them readily available to users in the academic, public and commercial sectors. More details on ISSDA are available at http://issda.ucd.ie