Cross-Sectional Studies

Cross-sectional research looks at multiple cases once in the present time, rather than looking at them repeatedly over time, as in the Psychology study of fitness done over the Internet with three newsgroups. Both information and ideas for studies can be drawn from longitudinal databases as The British National Statistics Database points out.

The unique demographics and cultural diversity in India make marketing research there almost completely cross-sectional in order to be of any value.

Although these studies are limited to a "snapshot in time" they can be replicated at any time in the future in order to generate a quasi-longitudinal study, while maintaining the low cost benefit of cross-sectional work. Reference is made on a site relating to adulthood and aging to Schaie's most efficient design of cross-sectional research which adds in several features with very little extra effort or cost.

The head of the Department of Economics in Melbourne recommends that students and researchers become acquainted with the detail of available data-sets and databases that are publicly available before selecting a specific research topic, in order to improve the quality of their cross-sectional research in economics. In the United States there is an option to submit sample as opposed to full case population reports to the Federal records collection in regards to child care support. Although the results may be the same in the aggregate, it does make some sorts of subsequent use of the data in later studies much more difficult if not impossible. These shifts in the nature of data collection and storage over time is one of the problems with using replicated cross-sectional studies over time as a means of doing low-cost longitudinal studies.

A Developmental Psychology Research PowerPoint outlines another problem in cross-sectional research, cohort effect, where the people of a cross-section of age all have historically determined rather than age determined outlooks.

Further Resources

• Example: Study of grandparent relations with children of divorced couples
• Example: Study to promote the quality of sibling relationships
• A company who does cross-sectional research to help in cross-cultural staff support of international workers
• reference to studies in childhood acquisition of languages
• An outline of cross-sectional research designs, with excellent diagrams