The volume presents an updated overview of the background ideas of the NEPS and its conceptional framework. It informs about the longitudinal structure of the multicohort sequence design and discusses its key methodological challenges as well as data protection issues. It also describes the organizational structure of the consortium of leading educational scientists and research institutions who have not only jointly developed the basic design but are continuously further adjusting it. Finally, it provides background information for users who want to utilize NEPS Scientific Use Files for their research projects. The volume is a revised edition of the ZfE Special Issue on the NEPS which appeared in 2011. Contents • Longitudinal design of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) • Research instruments to capture educational processes and competence development over the life course • Sampling issues and methodological challenges of the NEPS Audience The book is written for students and researchers interested in educational processes and competence development over the life course from disciplines such as psychology, educational science, sociology, economics, demography, migration studies, statistics, or survey methods. It provides also important information for educational practitioners such as teachers, school administrators, educational experts, or policy makers. Editors Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. Hans-Peter Blossfeld holds the Chair of Sociology I at the University of Bamberg and was the first Principal Investigator of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). Professor (em.) Dr. Hans-Günther Roßbach held the Chair for Early Childhood Education at the University of Bamberg and was the second principal investigator of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and the founding director of the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi).