The Loda Longitudinal Data Portal will close on 16 April 2026
Loda (LOngitudinal DAta portal) has enabled exploring, searching, and comparing of variables from the Finnish National Election Studies for the years 2003–2019. The portal was implemented in the Cross-Border Tools and Services (C-BoTS) project funded by the Research Council of Finland, and was launched in 2022. The closure is due to reasons related to technology and resources.
Longitudinal data are valuable because they enable the study of change across time. Researchers need to be able to easily identify which variables are the same, which are partially comparable, and which are not comparable at all. Any changes in data collection instruments should be documented transparently. Comprehensive and high-quality metadata is particularly important when data are used by multiple researchers or research groups over decades. FSD is actively exploring ways to provide services that support the use of longitudinal data, and seeking collaboration partners and funding.
The new individual Finnish National Election Study datasets and the ones that were available in the Loda platform will remain openly and free of charge available to the research community through the Aila Data Service.
We would like to thank Loda users and the experts involved in its development for their interest and feedback. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the closure of the service.