This paper begins with a discussion of five aspects of the 1990s which characterize the societal context for gerontological research which make this decade distinctive from preceding ones. These include: gerontology has come of age; the acceptance of a broad definition of health; the recognition of the role of research in policy and program development; the recognition of applied research; and a climate of cost consciousness which applies to many areas, including research which demands it be accurate and usable. The paper discusses the rediscovery of qualitative research as the new hope for answering many of our questions. It is noted that qualitative research has much to offer, although it is not a panacea and should compliment not replace traditional quantitative methods. The following section talks about knowing enough to know when not to do research and educating others about what any particular research project will not do. The remainder of the paper discusses the promise of, and some of the practical means of accomplishing collaborative research.

While multi-method research is currently provoking much interest, there is little reflection on the legitimacy of this kind of research and on the conditions for achieving high quality research. This article first describes the scientific and socio-political contexts from which this movement towards multi-method research has emerged. It then goes on to discuss why comparative analysis is central to the triangulation of methods and why the notion of triangulation itself requires an external point of reference. It is suggested that the reason why we produce only half-hearted or even illigitimate comparisons is because the reference points are hidden. For multi-method research to be of high quality it must clearly externalize valid inferences at each moment in the spiral of knowledge, identify its analytical logic and establish its internal reference points. (This article is the result of joint research and the respective positions of the authors are reflected in the way in which the article is presented.)

The debate regarding paradigms and investigation methods is at least partially responsible for the fragmentation of gerontologocial knowledge. First, the article presents arguments in favour of methodological pluralism as a research designed to facilitate the integration of knowledge and innovation. The main goal of methodological pluralism is to reconcile different approaches by combining a number of observation and data-collection scenarios within the same study. After presenting the arguments in favour of methodological pluralism and identifying the integration methods that can be applied to study results already obtained, the author proposes a taxonomy of multiple research strategies that may be utilized in the same study. He specifically discusses: pseudo-triangulation, parallel and sequential triangulation, composite methods, mixed methods and the multi-method approach.

A central question of social research is how experience is given voice in everyday life. Conventional methodologies provide technical answers: Issues of contextuality and the socially constructive and narrative features of method are not so much analytic and critical concerns as they are construed as procedural problems. This paper considers the question in aging research. Two sides of an analytic tension are addressed as they bear on method, one centred on voice and narrative and the other on the contextuality of experience. Observational and narrative material from qualitative studies of adults and elderly people is used to argue that a focus on ordinary, narrative practice usefully sustains the tension to provide the basis for a critical empiricism.

This article explores the potential of discourse analysis for understanding issues in aging and in the lives of older people. We describe discourse analysis from the perspective of discursive psychology and identify the basic features of discourse analysis: (1) talk and written texts are viewed as action; (2) talk itself is the topic of interest (not an index of internal states); (3) variability is viewed positively. Stages of discourse analysis are briefly discussed. We then consider examples of discourse-analytic research (on identity construction, phatic communion, frame stereotyping and humour). We conclude by suggesting possible uses and applications of discourse analysis in research on aging.

Feminist methodologies address the purpose and process of the research enterprise. They are not a particular set of techniques or procedures for gathering data. Rather they stem from the realization that it was the experiences of a very particular group of men, as both subject and object of enquiry, that defined social reality and the theories developed to explain our social worlds. This paper discusses some of the principles and approaches used by feminist researchers to explore the realities of women's lives. The author's research on home care workers, along with selected research in the field of aging, are used to illustrate the analysis and explore the implications of feminist methodologies for our understanding of aging in Canadian society.

A brief introduction to gerontological longitudinal research methods and analysis is provided. The gerontological research questions that demand longitudinal study are identified. The use of secondary data analysis is shown to be essential to these studies. These analyses present opportunities to maximize both longitudinal research strategies and research efficiencies. The importance of administrative and financial stability for maintaining data bases for longitudinal research is presented by using examples. A brief overview of major Canadian longitudinal studies of aging and selected studies in other countries is provided. Finally, many sources of both quantitative and qualitative data for longitudinal gerontological studies are identified.

The advancement of computer systems has led to the existence of large and detailed existing computerized data sets, many of which contain useful information for studying the elderly and the aging process. This paper identifies several types of existing large data bases and provides examples of each. Strengths and weaknesses of working with existing data are discussed and strategies for conducting secondary data analysis of large data sets are outlined. Existing data sets represent large investments in the collection of individual data and have great potential to provide answers to important questions in the field of aging research.

Research measures can be integrated into routine care if they are useful to care providers. Measures will be useful if they facilitate the processes of care, and if the outcomes which they measure reflect outcomes of importance to the patient. Many current measures suffer from being unwieldy for routine use, or not adequately measuring relevant outcomes. In the care of the frail elderly, who have complex needs, these challenges are particularly difficult. The techniques of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) are proposed as means of embracing the complexity of the needs of the frail elderly, and measuring the effectiveness of specialized interventions. GAS appears to meet the current definition of a Health-Related Quality of Life measure, suggesting that its routine use provides advantages both as a management process and as an outcome measure.

The intuitive notion of action research — planning with individuals to try something out, studying what happens when the change is implemented, making appropriate revisions, and then trying it again — appeals to researchers interested in using the practical knowledge of the people they study, simultaneously allowing them to develop strong personal connections. This paper provides an overview of action research methods and their potential use in applied social research on aging and the elderly. The first section defines terms and gives examples of action research. The second section reviews work in this field, and the final section presents four questions for gerontologists to consider.

The objective of this paper is to review the difficulties associated with measuring self-help groups for what they are, and the methodology used. This report identifies issues inherent to research on self-help groups for the elderly. Elderly group participants sharing a common problem and meeting to discuss it without the benefit of professional support will, without doubt, become a more and more prevalent resource for use in the future. Consequently, it is imperative to ascertain which questions the researchers should be asking. Three research objectives are described: descriptive studies, process examination and the assessment of outcomes considered relevant to self-help groups. The discussion addresses three types of objects under study: the group participants, the group itself and the interorganizational ties established by the group, particularly in dealing with health service agencies.

Health promotion and participatory research present challenges and opportunities for extending the benefits of science to populations who have not fully benefited from innovations available through self-care and mutual aid. This paper illustrates some of the strengths, weaknesses, issues and problems in applying the approaches of health promotion and participatory research with First Nations populations for purposes of arthritis self-management. We suggest ways in which these experiences apply to the elderly. Preliminary results from our First Nations Arthritis Self-Management study illustrate participatory research and promising outcomes. The adaptability of these health promotion strategies in the First Nations community can be generalized to the elderly in the general population based on their common experience with arthritis and the advantages of participatory planning with distinguishable demographic groups who share a common identity.