FLaG event: Translating the value of Qualitative Longitudinal Research across disciplines

The Centre for Research on Families, Life Course and Generations (FLaG) hosts this event on Qualitative Longitudinal Research, featuring presentations from two speakers.

Professor Bren Neale (University of Leeds) and Dr. Jonas Masdonati (University of Lausanne, and FLaG Visiting Fellow) will present and be ‘in conversation’ about the value of Qualitative Longitudinal Research methodology for capturing and interrogating social processes as they unfold over time. They will also consider why researchers may encounter disciplinary resistance to Qualitative Longitudinal methodologies.

The event will consist of two 25 minute presentations, a 10 minute discussion between Professor Neale and Dr. Masdonati, and a 30 minute open conversation with the audience. All welcome.

Qualitative Longitudinal Research: Strengths and Challenges

Professor Bren Neale

In this presentation, Bren will give a brief overview of qualitative longitudinal research methodology and its capacity to capture complex causal processes through time. In exploring the strengths and challenges of QL research, she will consider the flexibility of this method to capture the flux of lived experiences and how this sits alongside the need for precision in research design and practice. She will make a case for the robustness of this approach to social enquiry, despite the many challenges of working through time.

Qualitative Longitudinal Research in Vocational Psychology

Dr. Jonas Masdonati

Drawing on an ongoing study into involuntary career change, Jonas will address the relevance and challenges of implementing qualitative longitudinal research in vocational psychology. Qualitative research in this field is essentially cross-sectional and focused on a narrow range of approaches, and QLR is surprisingly neglected despite its enormous potential for addressing career development issues. He will outline examples of where QLR can provide valuable insights, as well as possible explanations for the limited use of QLR in vocational psychology.

The Centre for Research on Families, Life Course and Generations (FLaG) is an interdisciplinary forum for researchers and research users interested in family, youth, life course trajectories and transitions, educational pathways, inequalities and social change.