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17 - Longitudinal Research: A World to Explore

from Part III - Data Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2023

By
Elisabetta Ruspini
Edited by
Austin Lee Nichols  and
John Edlund
Austin Lee Nichols
Affiliation:
Central European University, Vienna
John Edlund
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
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Summary

This chapter describes some of the issues to be considered when dealing with longitudinal data. Longitudinal data can be defined as data gathered on a set of units over multiple time periods. Longitudinal data can be collected either prospectively or retrospectively, and data can be either qualitative or quantitative. Different ways of deriving repeated observations generate the three main types of longitudinal design: repeated cross-sectional surveys, panel surveys, and retrospective surveys. The world of longitudinal research is thus very heterogeneous. This chapter provides both a summary of advantages and disadvantages of each longitudinal design and some guidelines for authors and researchers.

Keywords

Life CourseLongitudinal DesignsLongitudinal ResearchPanel DataSocial Change
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Volume 1: Building a Program of Research
 , pp. 357 - 377
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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