A cross-sectional research is used to draw conclusions about a group of people at a specific moment in their lives. These studies are designed to collect data once and for all, rather than to follow up with participants. The researcher does not use the same sample for subsequent surveys following the cross-sectional study, but rather a different one. If the target population is too large, the investigator can focus on a subset of that group.
In cross-sectional investigations, data collecting is crucial.
Any data gathering method, such as a questionnaire, interview, or observation, can be used by the investigator. One primary school teacher, for example, believes that a protein-rich breakfast encourages students to be more active at school. She may send a questionnaire to the parents of her students, asking them to fill it out and return it to her so she can find out what they eat for breakfast and compare it to their children's activity and involvement in school. This will assist her in determining whether or not her theory is correct. The survey in a cross-sectional research is typically easy, and no baseline data is obtained, therefore no follow-up is required. In most cases, the investigations are straightforward, and the investigator has no control over external factors.
What makes a longitudinal study different from a cross-sectional study?
In cross-sectional research, the data is collected all at once, and the investigator can use whichever data collecting method is most appropriate. This research will be less generalizable than previous research. The investigator can gather data from the whole population of interest using an appropriate sampling technique, or he can draw a sample, whichever is most convenient. In a longitudinal study, the researcher gathers data once and then repeats the same survey on the same group many times throughout time. Longitudinal studies are used to track the progression of results across time.
Advantages
In the social sciences, medical sciences, and economics, these research can be carried out on a regular basis. They don't take as long as other sorts of inquiries and can get findings quickly. These studies benefit a limited number of individuals, and hypothesis testing may be done quickly on a small scale.
Disadvantage
The biggest drawback is that it doesn't produce as much generalizable data as other types of study. These studies only chronicle a single moment in time and do not give data or outcomes from before and after. We have no way of knowing if the results are typical, and there is no means of proving a cause-and-effect link.
EDITOR'S SOURCE: Eduprojects
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