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Data for the NEPS Starting Cohort 5 are now available in version 16.0.0 for scientific use.

By the end of the first quarter of 2022, the number of researchers who have registered to use the data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) has increased to 3,000. A recent survey among data users also revealed a high level of satisfaction with the data offered by the NEPS. 94 percent of those surveyed stated that they would recommend the data to others for use based on their own experiences.

New versions of linked survey data from the National Educational Panel Study with administrative data of the Institute for Employment Research are now available for Starting Cohort 4 (Grade 9, NEPS-SC4-ADIAB) and Starting Cohort 6 (Adults, NEPS-SC6-ADIAB). With the update, the data horizon of the administrative information has been widened by two years up to and including 2019. In addition, the NEPS data now extend to wave 12 (SC4 and SC6).

Researchers who are already registered to use NEPS-ADIAB can apply informally for an update of the corresponding data package by sending an e-mail to the Research Data Center of the Federal Employment Agency at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB-FDZ).

Further information on the IAB-FDZ website

New data for the NEPS Starting Cohort 1 are now available in version 9.0.0 for scientific use.

The biannual newsletter „LIfBi data“ provides regular information about data releases, events, and other news from the Research Data Center of the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (RDC LIfBi). The newsletter can be received by e-mail; subscribing to and unsubscribing from the mailing list is possible via our website.

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This year, the Research Data Center at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) is again conducting a series of German- and English-language training courses on the data portfolio of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). The offer consists of several basic and advanced modules, which can be attended separately. All events take place virtually via Zoom. Participation is free of charge; registration can be made informally by e-mail.

For the two cohorts – children and adolescents – of the study "Refugees in the German Educational System" (ReGES), the new data from the third survey wave are now available for scientific analyses.

An updated data version 12.1.0 for the NEPS Starting Cohort 6 is now available for scientific use.

An updated data version 11.0.1 for the NEPS Starting Cohort 3 is now available for scientific use.

New data for the NEPS Starting Cohort 4 are now available in version 12.0.0 for scientific use.

New data for the NEPS Starting Cohort 3 are now available in version 11.0.0 for scientific use.

New versions of linked survey data from the National Educational Panel Study with administrative data of the Institute for Employment Research are now available for Starting Cohort 1 (Newborns, NEPS-SC1-ADIAB) and Starting Cohort 5 (First-year students, NEPS-SC5-ADIAB). With the update, the data horizon of the administrative information has been widened by two years to 2019. In addition, the NEPS data now cover up to and including wave 8 (SC1) and wave 15 (SC5). Researchers who are already registered to use NEPS-ADIAB can apply informally for an update of the corresponding data package by sending an e-mail to the Research Data Center of the Federal Employment Agency at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB-FDZ).

Further information on the IAB-FDZ website

Under the heading „The National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and Methodological Innovations in Longitudinal Large-Scale Assessments“ contributions are sought from a variety of disciplines that address methods of data collection and analysis in educational studies. The call for papers will close on November 30, 2021. Proposals for contributions can be submitted until then.

The first Research Data Center (FDZ) in Germany was founded 20 years ago. On the occasion of this anniversary, the KonsortSWD team at LIfBi organized a scientific conference, which took place in a hybrid format simultaneously in the Spiegelsaal in Bamberg and online. Experts from the scientific community took a look at the development of the research data infrastructure over the past 20 years and discussed current trends and potential for development. A central theme of the event was calls on policymakers to create the legal framework to improve the work of research data centers and facilitate linkages between existing and new data sets.

An updated data version 12.0.1 for the NEPS Starting Cohort 6 is now available for scientific use.

An updated data version 8.0.1 for the NEPS Starting Cohort 1 is now available for scientific use.

Children of single fathers have the lowest educational success – this (in brief) is one of the results that Wolfgang Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Nico Stawarz and Alexandra Wicht (University of Siegen) have elaborated in an award-winning publication. The work focusses on the educational resources that young people growing up in different family constellations may have at their disposal. It is based on the extensive data sets of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and has now been awarded the 2nd Prize of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation for Social Science Essays of the Year 2020.

Older adults have been the focus of attention since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic - as a particularly vulnerable risk group, the highest priority group for vaccinations, and in discussions about the consequences of social isolation. By analizing data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), it has now been possible for the first time to examine the living situation of adults during the first lockdown in Germany, differentiated by age group, with a particular focus on the satisfaction and future expectations of those over 65. It turns out that older adults share the same concerns, especially about the fact that the gap between rich and poor continues to grow. In contrast, they are much less likely than younger adults to expect serious financial problems for themselves or their loved ones.

New data for the NEPS Starting Cohort 6 are now available in version 12.0.0 for scientific use.

With the first release of Scientific Use Files (SUF) of the study ReGES "Refugees in the German Educational System", researchers can now access the data of the first two of a total of seven survey waves and use them for their own analyses. The Research Data Center of the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (FDZ-LIfBi) is thus expanding its range of services and will make the carefully prepared data available for scientific purposes in various degrees of anonymization free of charge and together with extensive documentation material on the new website www.reges-data.de/en-us from July 9, 2021.

The 6th International NEPS Conference of the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) took place virtually again this year. The focus of the conference on June 8, 2021 was on methodological innovations in representative educational studies such as NEPS. In addition, the "NEPS Publication Award" for outstanding papers based on NEPS data was again awarded; this year it went to Berlin.

New data for the NEPS Starting Cohort 5 are now available in version 15.0.0 for scientific use.

The journal "Large-scale Assessments in Education" will publish a special issue with a focus on the methodology of large-scale longitudinal studies in educational research. For this issue, contributions from a variety of disciplines that address methods of data collection and analysis in educational studies are sought. In terms of content, the issue connects to the 6th International NEPS Conference, which will be hosted as a virtual conference by the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) in June 2021. Contributions for the special issue can be submitted until November 30, 2021.

In the second half of 2021, a new junior research group on "Outcomes of Education Across the Lifespan" is to start at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi). For this purpose, the institute is now looking for a head for the group. Applications will be accepted until April 15, 2021.

New data for the NEPS Starting Cohort 1 are now available in version 8.0.0 for scientific use.

The Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories will host the 6th International NEPS Conference on June 8, 2021. This  year the  main  focus  of  the  conference  will  be  on  the  advancement  of methodological  practices  in  educational  large-scale  assessments. To this end, the keynote address by Matthias von Davier (Boston College, USA) and an opening presentation by Suzanne Jak (University of Amsterdam, NL) will address current topics in modeling and analysis of complex data structures. Conference papers can be submitted until April 15, 2021.

The first "Call for Modules" in the National Education Panel Study (NEPS) has resulted in new survey modules. After a scientific evaluation and detailed discussion of 17 externally prepared project outlines in various committees, three proposals have now been selected for inclusion in the NEPS. It is the first time that content has been included that has not been developed by the NEPS network itself. The new modules "Self-efficacy for motivational regulation", "The innovative teacher – proactive behavior in occupations" and "Conspiracy mentality and political deprivation" complement the NEPS survey program with content that is likely to be highly relevant for questions from various scientific disciplines.

Since the beginning of the year, the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) has been responsible for several sub-projects in the newly founded Consortium for the Social, Behavioural, Educational and Economic Sciences (KonsortSWD). KonsortSWD began its work in October 2020 as one of nine founding consortia of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). Under the claim "Good data. Better research!", the existing data infrastructure for the scientific community is to be strengthened, expanded and deepened. LIfBi is now launching a call for applications for funding of data management projects until the end of April in the sub-project "Funding FDM".

With the new issue of the newsletter „LIfBi data“ the RDC would like to wish all readers a good start into the new year and inform about relevant news from the Research Data Center.