The strategy (design) of conducting a cohort study may differ in actions and rules. There are three designs on which students or professionals can run their research: cross-sectional, longitudinal, and sequential (Lumen Learning). Each design has its advantages and disadvantages, and each can be used to answer a particular question or identify a specific pattern. Depending on the design chosen, the researchers shape the order of the surveys.
Cross-sectional studies are good for highlighting and capturing data over time. Examples of cross-sectional research are political polls during or shortly before voting. Cross-sectional studies provide precise results, drawing parallels as far as possible with the respondents’ age and gender. They can give brief and concise information on a question of interest to researchers. Their limited time and stiffness in cohorts are their main disadvantage.
Longitudinal research eliminates this shortcoming by becoming the best method for conducting interviews that are extended over time. Often such studies are stretched over the years, which complicates their implementation. Longitudinal research is tied to several complex rules that apply to both researchers and interviewees. Some of the respondents may not withstand the requirements and refuse to participate. Examples of longitudinal studies are studies of the emotional state, mental problems, attitudes towards social deviations, and institutions, like family, education (Wang et al. 41). The main disadvantages of such studies are the financial burden, the extreme complexity of conducting, and selecting participants.
In conclusion, it is appropriate to add that these research methods complement each other perfectly, being in some way opposites. Sequential research builds on the foundation of the two described above, a modern method of conducting surveys and experiments. Like cross-sectional studies, they can take into account characteristics of the cohort members, age or gender. At the same time, like longitudinal studies, sequential studies require money and time. These studies can be conducted on any relevant topic: the COVID-19 pandemic, school bullying, hate speech on the Internet. For students and inexperienced researchers, cross-sectional studies are more suitable since they are conveniently done by scientists united by one goal. They can break up roles share responsibility for parts of the work.
Works Cited
Lumen Learning. “Developmental Research Designs | Lifespan Development.” Lumen, Web.
Wang, Cuiyan, et al. “A Longitudinal Study on the Mental Health of General Population During the COVID-19 Epidemic in China.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, vol. 87, 2020, pp. 40–48. Crossref, Web.