Aims and scope
Volumes 1-9
Abstracting and indexing
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Contact us

Aims and scope

Longitudinal and Life Course Studies (LLCS) is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the needs of researchers studying the life course and using longitudinal methods at the interfaces of social, developmental and health sciences. It fosters cross-disciplinary and international endeavours and promotes the creation and exploitation of longitudinal data resources as well as their application to policy issues. As the journal of the Society for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies (SLLS) it provides an opportunity for scholars at all stages of their careers to publish work crossing disciplinary boundaries which is often beyond the scope of more conventional, single-field journals.

Longitudinal research involves the follow up of individuals, households, communities or other groups over time. Life course study focuses on the influences that shape holistic pathways from conception to adult life and old age. LLCS brings together the broad range of specialist interests in an international, multidisciplinary, multi-method framework.

The editors welcome submissions that report on research or methodological development, in one or more of these fields and from a spectrum of disciplinary approaches: sociological (quantitative and qualitative), demographic, economic, geographic, historical, psychological and behavioural, epidemiological and statistical. Typically papers deal with individual data in several domains (for example physical or mental health, education, housing, employment) as they change over time, and set in their life course and policy context. International comparisons are encouraged within papers and can be made between them.

In addition to carrying research articles, the journal specialises in publishing study profiles introducing particular longitudinal studies to scientific and policy users and the designers and managers of other studies It explores new forms of longitudinal data collection, including the exploitation of administrative sources. Occasionally, it also publishes edited debates and invited pieces about the research–policy interface, keynote addresses at SLLS conferences, and reviews of books of special relevance to our readership. The editors seek to ensure that all research reporting is accessible to the journal's multidisciplinary readership and encourage comparisons and collaborations between countries and studies. We are especially eager to showcase findings from parts of the world where longitudinal studies are increasingly being established, such as East Asia, Africa and South America. LLCS strives to maintain the highest quality in accepted papers through double-anonymous peer review, drawing on an international as well as interdisciplinary network of editors and reviewers.

Volumes 1-9

Longitudinal and Life Course Studies has been published by Bristol University Press on behalf of the Society for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies since 2019 (Volume 10). Only issues from Volume 10 onwards are held on Bristol University Press Digital. Previous issues are available via the PKP platform.

Abstracting and indexing

Longitudinal and Life Course Studies is abstracted and/or indexed in:

• Clarivate Social Science Citation Index
• Clarivate Journal Citation Reports
• EBSCO Academic Search Alumni Edition, Elite and Premier
• European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH)
• MEDLINE/ PubMed
• ProQuest Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
• ProQuest Central
• ProQuest Politics Collection
• ProQuest Sociology Collection
• ProQuest Social Science Premium Collection
• Scopus

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement outlines the ways in which we seek to ensure that equity, diversity and inclusion are integral to all aspects of our publishing, and how we might encourage and drive positive change. 

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Contact us

Editorial enquiries:

Journal Manager: Sarah Jeal, journal@slls.org.uk

Open Access, subscriptions and free trials:

Bristol University Press: bup-journals@bristol.ac.uk

Read our instructions for authors for guidance on how to prepare your submissions. The instructions include the following: 

What are we looking for?
How to submit an article
Editorial review process
Ethical guidelines
Copyright and permissions
Style
Alt-text
References
Open Access
Self-archiving and institutional repositories
English language editing service
How to maximise the impact of your article
Contact us

Visit our journal author tool kit for resources and advice to support you through the publication process and beyond.

What are we looking for?

• Research articles:  Longitudinal and Life Course Studies has an international, multidisciplinary, multi-method focus, encompassing the social and economic sciences, health sciences, developmental and behavioural sciences, and statistics, and we welcome submission of original research articles from across the spectrum. The word limit is normally 7,000 (excluding tables, figures, bibliography and abstract). Supplementary material can be submitted as an appendix. If the supplementary material is unusually long, authors may be asked to host it in a data repository, such as figshare, and refer to it in the data availability statement in the article.
   

• Study profiles: A study profile should introduce readers to longitudinal data resources on which research is or may be based. It should normally be between 3,000 and 5,000 words long (excluding tables, figures, bibliography and abstract). Supplementary material can be submitted as an appendix. If the supplementary material is unusually long authors may be asked to host it in a data repository, such as figshare, and refer to it in the data availability statement in the article. The study profile should explain the main features of the design and development of the study, its scientific aims, the main research questions that are (or will be) addressed, its achievements, and arrangements, if any, for  data access. Reflections on purposes, problems and social/historical context of the study are welcome alongside formal description. We welcome updates to existing study profiles with new developments or to add further context. In these cases we would be most interested in profiles that are submitted alongside new research articles or research notes using the data.  Please read the additional guidance for writing study profiles before submitting your work.
   

• Research notes: Research notes are shorter than full papers – usually between 2,000 and 3,000 words in length. They will normally focus on one or two findings from a longer unpublished report, or report interim findings from ongoing research. The text should be written as concisely as possible and referencing should be kept to the minimum.
   
• Comment and debate: Comment and debate articles are opinion pieces on an issue relevant to longitudinal and life course studies, led by an initial commentary and followed by replies (normally 3-4) and a final response by the commentary author(s). Commentaries should take a position on a point of controversy and/or discussion in the field and construct a supporting argument. For example, they could focus on the use of a particular methodology, bring in concepts from new fields to the debate, or discuss the implications of a change (e.g. changes in funding for longitudinal studies, the use of AI in data collection/analysis etc.). The authors of the initial commentary will suggest the names of lead authors for the replies during the submission process. Shorter papers of up to 3,000 words are encouraged, but the maximum limit is 5,000, including figures and tables. All articles must include an abstract (up to 250 words), but otherwise may be organised using subheaders as necessary. For publication a summary abstract (up to 500 words) will also be provided by the author(s) of the initial commentary.
   
• Special issues and special sections: LLCS is pleased to consider for publication special issues and part special issues (special sections) comprising sets of papers relating to a common theme. A special issue will normally include not less than six and not more than eight papers, not including the guest editorial. A special section will consist of not less than three and not more than five papers, not including the guest editorial. Guidance on the steps to be taken in submitting proposals for these forms of publication in the journal is set out here.

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How to submit an article

All submissions should be made online at the Longitudinal and Life Course Studies Editorial Manager website: https://www.editorialmanager.com/llcs/Default.aspx.

Editorial Manager

Manuscripts must be in Word or Rich Text Format, not pdf. New users should first create an account, specify their areas of interest and provide full contact details.

Preparing your anonymised manuscript

Your initial submission must consist of the following separate files:

1. A cover page including: the article title, author name(s) and affiliations (institution affiliation and country only, no department details required), the article abstract (up to 250 words), up to five key words/short phrases, and the article word count including references. A cover page template is available to download here.
2. A fully anonymised manuscript which does not include any of the information included in the cover page. It should not include any acknowledgements, funding details or conflicts of interest that would identify the author(s). References to the author's own work should be anonymised as follows: 'Author's own, [year]'. Please note that submissions that have not been sufficiently anonymised will be returned.
3. If you have any figures and tables, these must be uploaded as separate files at the end of the manuscript. Please indicate where they should be placed in the text by inserting: ‘Figure X here’ and provide numbers, titles and sources where appropriate.
4. In order to improve our accessibility for people with visual impairments, we are now required to ask authors to provide a brief description known as alt text to describe any visual content such as photos, illustrations or figures. It will not be visible in the article but is embedded into the images so a PDF reader can read out the descriptions. Guidance on how to write this is available here: Bristol University Press | Alt-text guidance for authors.

For help submitting an article via Editorial Manager, please view our online tutorial.

Once a submission has been conditionally accepted, you will be invited to submit a final, non-anonymised version.

Checklist: what to include in your final, accepted non-anonymised manuscript

A cover page including:

• Title: short and concise running title and, if necessary, a (short) informative subtitle;
• Author names and affiliations (institution affiliation and country only, no department details required);
• Abstract: no longer than 250 words, outlining the central question, approach/method, findings and take-home message;
• Up to five keywords.

The main manuscript including:

• The non-anonymised text of your article: up to 7,000 words for research articles, 5,000 words for study profiles and 3,000 words for research notes.
• Key messages: Each research article must include 3–4 ‘key messages’ summarising the main messages from the paper in up to four bullet points. The contribution made by the paper to the field should be clear from these key messages. Each bullet point must be less than 100 characters. These points may be used to promote your article on social media.
• Funding details: list any funding including the grant numbers you have received for the research covered in your article as follows: ‘This work was supported by the [Funding Agency] under Grant [number xxxx].’
• Data availability statement: If the article reports the use of data, please declare that the author(s) take(s) responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the analysis. Please also state whether the data is available to other researchers and, if so, where or how it can be accessed.
• Statement on human and animal experimentation and informed consent: If the article is based on a study including human or animal subjects, authors must provide a statement identifying the organisation or review board that approved the study, including permit numbers. For research involving human participants, please confirm compliance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, and include a statement on informed consent.
• Conflict of interest statement: please declare any possible conflicts of interest, or state ‘The author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest’ if there are none.
• Acknowledgements: acknowledge people who have provided you with any substantial assistance or advice with collecting the data, developing your ideas, editing or any other comments to develop your argument or text.
• Figures and tables: should be submitted as separate files. Figures should ideally be in an Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) file format. Please indicate where figures and tables should be placed in the text by inserting: ‘Figure/Table X here’ and provide numbers, titles and sources (where appropriate).
• In order to improve our accessibility for people with visual impairments, we are now required to ask authors to provide a brief description known as alt text to describe any visual content such as photos, illustrations or figures. It will not be visible in the article but is embedded into the images so a PDF reader can read out the descriptions. Guidance on how to write this is available here: Bristol University Press | Alt-text guidance for authors.
• Supplementary data: We recommend that any supplementary data is hosted in a data repository (such as figshare) for maximum exposure, and is cited as a reference in the article. Short supplementary items can be included as appendices to the article.
• Journal contributor publishing agreement: please upload a scanned copy of the completed and signed  agreement with your final non-anonymised manuscript. The agreement can be downloaded here.

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Editorial review process

All submissions are first desk-reviewed by the editor(s) who will assess whether the manuscript fits the aims and scope as well as the quality standards of the journal. Papers that are selected to be sent out for review will be evaluated through double anonymous peer review by at least two referees. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies aims to return the reviews along with an initial decision within two months of submission.

Please also see our Journals editorial policies.

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Ethical guidelines

At Bristol University Press we are committed to upholding the highest standards of review and publication ethics in our journals. Bristol University Press is a member of and subscribes to the principles of the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE), and will take appropriate action in cases of possible misconduct in line with COPE guidance.

Find out more about our ethical guidelines. 

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Copyright and permissions

Longitudinal and Life Course Studies is published by Bristol University Press on behalf of the Society for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies (SLLS). Articles are considered for publication on the understanding that on acceptance the author(s) grant(s) Bristol University Press (on behalf of SLLS) the exclusive right and licence to publish the article. Copyright remains with the author(s) or other original copyright owners and we will acknowledge this in the copyright line that appears on the published article.

Authors will be asked to sign a journal contributor agreement to this effect, which should be submitted online along with the final manuscript. All authors should agree to the agreement. For jointly authored articles the corresponding author may sign on behalf of co-authors provided that they have obtained the co-authors' consent. The journal contributor agreement can be downloaded here.

Where copyright is not owned by the author(s), the corresponding author is responsible for obtaining the consent of the copyright holder. This includes figures, tables and excerpts. Evidence of this permission should be provided to Bristol University Press. General information on rights and permissions can be found here.

To request permission to reproduce any part of articles published in the Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, please email: bup-permissions@bristol.ac.uk. For information on what is permissible use for different versions of your article, please see the journal contributor publishing agreement.

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Style

• British English spelling and punctuation is preferred.
• Spell out all acronyms in the first instance
• Non-discriminatory language is mandatory. See our guidelines to sensitive language (appendix C of document).
• Explanatory notes should be kept to a minimum. If it is necessary to use them, they must be numbered consecutively in the text and listed at the end of the article. Please do not embed notes in the text.
• Please do not embed bibliographic references in the text, footnotes, live links or macros; the final submitted file should be clear of track changes and ready for print.
• Tables and charts should be separated from the text and submitted in a Word or Excel file, with their placement in the text clearly indicated by inserting: ‘Table X here’. Please provide numbers, titles and sources (where appropriate).
• Figures, diagrams and maps should be separated from the text and, ideally, submitted in an Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) file. Figures created in Word or Excel are acceptable in those file formats. If the figures, diagrams and maps are in other formats (i.e. have been pasted into a Word file rather than created in it) please contact bup-journalsproduction@bristol.ac.uk for advice. Please indicate where figures should be placed in the text, by inserting: ‘Figure X here’ and provide numbers, titles and sources (where appropriate).
• Authors using data sets which have their own digital objective identifier (DOI) are encouraged to include such references in their bibliography.  This helps give proper recognition to the work involved in creating and curating large data resources.

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Alt-text

In order to improve our accessibility for people with visual impairments, we are now required to ask authors to provide a brief description known as alt text to describe any visual content such as photos, illustrations or figures. It will not be visible in the article but is embedded into the images so a PDF reader can read out the descriptions. See our guidance on writing alt-text.

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References

Download the Endnote output style for Policy Press and Bristol University Press Journals.

Policy Press uses a custom version of the Harvard system of referencing:

• In-text citations: give the author’s surname followed by year of publication in brackets;
• If there is more than one reference to the same author and year, this should be distinguished by a, b, c, d and so on being added to the year.
• In lists of references given within the text, place in chronological order, from old to new. For example (Smith, 1989; Jones, 1990; Amler, 2002; Brown, 2007).
• List all references in full at the end of the article and remove any references not cited in the text;
• Names should be listed in the references as cited, for example, surnames containing de, De, de la, Le, van, von, Van, Von should be listed under ‘D’, ‘L’ and ‘V’ respectively. If in doubt, check the author ORCID or a recognised database such as Scopus or Web of Science to verify their most known surname.
• For works with multiple authors, list all names up to six. For works with more than six authors, list the first six names followed by ‘et al’.
• Book and journal titles should be in italics;
• Website details should be placed at the end of the reference;
• Ibid/op cit: please do not use; we would prefer that you repeated the information.
• Immediately before submitting your final version, check that all references cited in the text are in the reference list and that references in the reference list are cited correctly in the text.

Examples

Book:
Bengtson, V.L. and Lowenstein, A. (2003) Global Aging and its Challenge to Families, New Jersey, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Darling, D. (2010) Injustice: Why Social Inequality Persists, Bristol: Policy Press. 

Book with editor:
Bengtson, V.L. and Lowenstein, A. (eds) (2003) Global Aging and its Challenge to Families, 5th edn, New Jersey, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Chapter in book or in multi-authored publication:
Bengtson, V.L. and Lowenstein, A. (2003) Citizenship in action: the lived experiences of citizens with dementia who campaign for social change, in R. Smith, R. Means and K. Keegan (eds) Global Aging and its Challenge to Families, New Jersey, NJ: Transaction Publishers, pp 305–26.

Journal reference:
Williamson, E. and Abrahams, H. A. (2014) A review of the provision of intervention programmes for female victims and survivors of domestic abuse in the UK, Journal of Women and Social Work, 29(1): 178-191. doi: doi.org/10.1177/0886109913516452

Jeffrey, C., Williams, E., de Araujo, P., Fortin-Rochberg, R., O'Malley, T., Hill, A-M., et al (2009) The challenge of politics, Policy & Politics, 36(4): 545–57. doi: doi.org/10.1177/0886108913516454

Website reference:
Womensaid (2016) What is domestic abuse?, https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/.

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Editorial Management Board 

Executive Editor
Dr Tony Robertson,University of Stirling, UK

Section: Behavioural Sciences and Development
Dale Dannefer, Section Editor, Case Western Reserve University, USA
Eirini Flouri, Associate Editor, University College London, UK
Jutta Heckhausen, Associate Editor, University of California, Irvine, USA
Janeen Baxter, Associate Editor, University of Queensland, Australia

Section: Health and Population Sciences
Scott Montgomery, Section Editor, Örebro University Hospital and Örebro University, Sweden
Cyrille Delpierre, Associate Editor, Inserm, France
Marleen Lentjes, Associate Editor, Örebro University, Sweden
Leah Li,Associate Editor, University College London, UK

Section: Social and Economic Sciences
Peter Elias, Outgoing Section Editor, University of Warwick, UK
Kathrin Komp-Leukkunen, Incoming Section Editor, LUT University, Finland
Christian Brzinsky-Fay, Associate Editor, University of Hamburg, Germany
Kathrin Komp-Leukkunen, Associate Editor, LUT University, Finland
Daria Luchinskaya, Associate Editor, Strathclyde University, Scotland, UK
Wojtek Tomaszewski, Associate Editor, University of Queensland, Australia

Section: Statistical Sciences and Methodology
Sharon L. Christ, Section Editor, Purdue University, USA
Marc Scott, Associate Editor, New York University, USA
Gita Mishra, Associate Editor, University of Queensland, Australia
Shawn Bauldry, Associate Editor, Purdue University, USA
Danilo Bolano, Associate Editor, Bocconi University, Italy

Editorial Advisory Board

Mel Bartley, University College London, UK
David Blane, Imperial College London, UK
Hans-Peter Blossfeld, University of Bamberg, Germany
Elizabeth Cooksey, Ohio State University, USA
Tim Croudace, University of Dundee, UK
George Davey Smith, University of Bristol, UK
Bianca De Stavola, University College London, UK
Glen Elder, University of North Carolina, USA
Robert Erikson, Stockholm University, Sweden
Leon Feinstein, University of Oxford, UK
John Gray, University of Cambridge, UK
Rebecca Hardy, University College London, UK
Kathleen Harris, UNC-Chapel Hill, USA
Walter Heinz, University of Bremen, Germany
Rachel Knowles, University College London, UK
Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin, Imperial College London, UK
Harvey Krahn, University of Alberta, Canada
Richard Layte, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Dean Lillard, Ohio State University, USA
Barbara Maughan, Kings College London, UK
Chris Power, Institute of Child Health, UK
Steve Reder, Portland State University, USA
Marcus Richards, University College London, UK
Amanda Sacker, University College London, UK
Ingrid Schoon, UCL Institute of Education, UK
Rainer Silbereisen, University of Jena, Germany
Heike Solga, WZB - Berlin Social Sciences Center, Germany
Fiona Steele, London School of Economics, UK
Alice Sullivan, Institute of Education, UK
Michael Wadsworth, UCL Medical School, UK
Gert Wagner, German Institute for Economic Research, Germany
Richard Wiggins, UCL Institute of Education, UK

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