Data Quality in Longitudinal Research

Description

This book provides an overview of the central issues of data quality in longitudinal research, with a focus on data relevant for studying individual development. Topics covered include reliability, validity, sampling, aggregation, and the correspondence between theory and method; more specific, practical issues in longitudinal research, such as the drop-out problem and issues of confidentiality are also addressed. The volume is the result of an interdisciplinary endeavour by leading European scientists to discuss appropriate ways of handling various types of longitudinal data, including psychiatric data, alcohol data, and criminal data.

"...focuses attention on issues that affect the integrity of longitudinal data and research, and it does so in a manner that will be clear to the reader, regardless of that reader's level of sophistication. As such, this volume is an important and welcome addition to the literature." American Scientist "This work presents a series of thoughtful discussions about the longitudinal study of development. The chapters represent the concerns of a variety of disciplines, (e.g., psychiatry, psychology, sociology, and epidemiology). Since the authors are multinational, the effort draws on the experience of a number of researchers involved in a range of national longitudinal studies. The effect of this diversity of fields and national traditions with a common focus on quality of data in longitudinal study is a collection of chapters that are intrinsically interesting. The overlap of issues across traditions and subjects allows the the chapters to fit together very well and illustrates how solutions to common issues are reached via different paths...This book as a whole is quite good." Book Forum "...a very useful volume. It does indeed offer discussions of a range of issues that should allow longitudinal researchers to judge the quality of their and others' data--to determine if the emperor is wearing any clothes. As such it should be useful to current and potential longitudinal researchers of human development. It is also a volume that should be recommended to students of human development and could therefore be used in graduate courses on research methods." Lonnie R. Sherrod, Contemporary Psychology