COMM 004 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Longitudinal Study, Time Series, Institute Of Historical Research

• School: College of The Sequoias
• Department: Communication (COMM)
• Course: COMM 004
• Professor: Johnson

Document Summary

There are two types of researches: cross-sectional research. Observe a collection of people at one time. Usually the simplest and least costly alternative but it cannot capture social process/change. It can be exploratory/explanatory/descriptive but most consistent with descriptive: longitudinal research. It is more complex and costly than cross-sectional research but it is also more informative and powerful. There are 3 main types of longitudinal research: time-series study, observe different people at multiple times so that the researchers can observe stability/change in the features of the units/can track conditions over time. These methods can show us how trends in social life change: panel study, observe the same people at two/more times. Case studies: observes a small set intensely across time, often in a qualitative form and involves a detailed study of a small number of cases. It contrasts with other longitudinal studies (panel, cohort, time series), researchers gather data on many cases, and then look for general patterns.