Difference Between Longitudinal And Cross Sectional Research
In general the research should drive the design.
Difference between longitudinal and cross sectional research. Longitudinal studies and cross sectional studies are two different types of research design. Cross sectional studies are carried out in one specific point of time. But sometimes the progression of the research helps determine which design is most appropriate.
Only the present situation is seen. Longitudinal studies are carried out over the period of time. A longitudinal study is a research study in which the research continues for a longer period of time and uses the same sample at each phase.
Evolutionary characters are seen. It provides a long term analysis of the situation. In a cross sectional study you collect data from a population at a specific point in time.
In a longitudinal study you repeatedly collect data from the same sample over an extended period of time. Longitudinal vs cross sectional studies longitudinal studies differ from one off or cross sectional studies. The main difference is that cross sectional studies interview a fresh sample of people each time they are carried out whereas longitudinal studies follow the same sample of people over time.
Therefore a longitudinal study is more likely to suggest cause and effect relationships than a cross sectional study by virtue of its scope. The main difference between longitudinal and cross sectional study is that longitudinal studies look at variables repeatedly over a period of time while cross sectional studies look at variables at a particular point in time.