Analysing Qualitative Longitudinal Research in Evaluations
Abstract
This article describes the processes and objectives of qualitative longitudinal analysis in evaluation research, using a recent evaluation study – the evaluation of the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot – as an example. It describes evaluation research as involving an interplay between four domains of change: individual, service, policy and structural, which makes longitudinal qualitative research a particularly rich data source. It outlines different types of change that may be evident: narrative change, reinterpretation by either participant or researcher, and the absence of change. The article describes how the Framework analysis method was used to analyse longitudinal qualitative research. It examines how the data can be read in different ways to combine cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis, and theme, case and group analysis, and discusses the kind of questions that can be asked of change in longitudinal qualitative evaluation studies.
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Framework analysis allowed for comparison at different stages and the identification of possible causes of change for each participant over time.
“The latter allowed for comparison at different stages and the identification of possible causes of change for each participant over time (Lewis, 2007).”
From Critical Mindfulness in Social Work: Exploring the Potential of Reflexive Self-Care in the Journey from Student to Social Worker (2022) · cites this paper as Lewis, 2007
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Thom, G., Dombrowski, S. U., Brosnahan, N., Algindan, Y. Y., Rosario Lopez-Gonzalez, M., Roditi, G., Lean, M. E. J., & Malkova, D. (2020) · European Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1038/s41430-020-0568-9 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
McCusker, P. (2022) · The British Journal of Social Work · doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcaa246 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
- Authors
- Lewis, J.
- Corresponding author
- Lewis, Jane
- Venue
- Social Policy and Society
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2007-10
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 545-556
- ISSN
- 1474-7464 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-3073
- OpenAlex
- W2139725300
- Cited by
- 150
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 0.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Social Policy and Society (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Evaluation and Performance Assessment
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods
- Keywords
- qualitative longitudinal research, evaluation research, change analysis, narrative transformation, reinterpretation, framework analysis, case analysis, group analysis
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