Longitudinal research - lessons and learning

Challenges of longitudinal research in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs)

This survey is part of the Young Lives project to develop a new resource of methodological and operational learning to support researchers undertaking longitudinal research in LMICs. Visit our project page for details.

Introduction
With the support of the ESRC, Young Lives is undertaking a new project to facilitate and catalyze methodological learning and lessons generated over 15 years of policy-focused longitudinal observational research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our aim is to generate new insights that will help us shape a learning resource that meets the needs of a growing community of practice involved in longitudinal studies in LMICs.

Our work is divided into four key areas of challenge and opportunity related to longitudinal research:
1. Research design and methodology
2. Research governance and scientific, policy and public impact
3. Data management and archiving
4. Research ethics

We invite you, as a researcher or practitioner engaged or interested in similar forms of research, to participate in this project by offering your own views, experiences and insights. Your input will help us define priorities, identify challenges, and share resources for a new digital library of references, case studies and advice that will support best practice in longitudinal research.

It should only take about 5 minutes to complete the survey. Thank you in advance for your participation.

Research governance and impact

Question Title

* 1. What are some of the key challenges you have encountered or are concerned about regarding research governance, operations, and scientific, policy or public impacts?

	0 - don't know	1 - minor challenge	2 - moderate challenge	3 - high challenge
Research and operational leadership and management	Research and operational leadership and management 0 - don't know	Research and operational leadership and management 1 - minor challenge	Research and operational leadership and management 2 - moderate challenge	Research and operational leadership and management 3 - high challenge
Managing risk and uncertainty	Managing risk and uncertainty 0 - don't know	Managing risk and uncertainty 1 - minor challenge	Managing risk and uncertainty 2 - moderate challenge	Managing risk and uncertainty 3 - high challenge
Securing funding	Securing funding 0 - don't know	Securing funding 1 - minor challenge	Securing funding 2 - moderate challenge	Securing funding 3 - high challenge
Donor engagement	Donor engagement 0 - don't know	Donor engagement 1 - minor challenge	Donor engagement 2 - moderate challenge	Donor engagement 3 - high challenge
Working with governments	Working with governments 0 - don't know	Working with governments 1 - minor challenge	Working with governments 2 - moderate challenge	Working with governments 3 - high challenge
Equitable collaboration with institutional partners	Equitable collaboration with institutional partners 0 - don't know	Equitable collaboration with institutional partners 1 - minor challenge	Equitable collaboration with institutional partners 2 - moderate challenge	Equitable collaboration with institutional partners 3 - high challenge
Staff management - recruitment, capacity building, supervision and retention	Staff management - recruitment, capacity building, supervision and retention 0 - don't know	Staff management - recruitment, capacity building, supervision and retention 1 - minor challenge	Staff management - recruitment, capacity building, supervision and retention 2 - moderate challenge	Staff management - recruitment, capacity building, supervision and retention 3 - high challenge
Reporting, monitoring and evaluation	Reporting, monitoring and evaluation 0 - don't know	Reporting, monitoring and evaluation 1 - minor challenge	Reporting, monitoring and evaluation 2 - moderate challenge	Reporting, monitoring and evaluation 3 - high challenge
Ensuring scientific, policy and public impact	Ensuring scientific, policy and public impact 0 - don't know	Ensuring scientific, policy and public impact 1 - minor challenge	Ensuring scientific, policy and public impact 2 - moderate challenge	Ensuring scientific, policy and public impact 3 - high challenge

Any comments or other challenges? Please explain.

Data management and archiving

Question Title

* 2. What do you think are the biggest areas of challenge for data management and archiving?

	0 - don't know	1 - minor challenge	2 - moderate challenge	3 - high challenge
Harmonizing data across different longitudinal studies	Harmonizing data across different longitudinal studies 0 - don't know	Harmonizing data across different longitudinal studies 1 - minor challenge	Harmonizing data across different longitudinal studies 2 - moderate challenge	Harmonizing data across different longitudinal studies 3 - high challenge
Balancing open access with anonymization and confidentiality	Balancing open access with anonymization and confidentiality 0 - don't know	Balancing open access with anonymization and confidentiality 1 - minor challenge	Balancing open access with anonymization and confidentiality 2 - moderate challenge	Balancing open access with anonymization and confidentiality 3 - high challenge
Storage and management of large data sets	Storage and management of large data sets 0 - don't know	Storage and management of large data sets 1 - minor challenge	Storage and management of large data sets 2 - moderate challenge	Storage and management of large data sets 3 - high challenge
Using new tools and technologies to collect, manage and analyze data	Using new tools and technologies to collect, manage and analyze data 0 - don't know	Using new tools and technologies to collect, manage and analyze data 1 - minor challenge	Using new tools and technologies to collect, manage and analyze data 2 - moderate challenge	Using new tools and technologies to collect, manage and analyze data 3 - high challenge
Data matching with administrative and other data sets	Data matching with administrative and other data sets 0 - don't know	Data matching with administrative and other data sets 1 - minor challenge	Data matching with administrative and other data sets 2 - moderate challenge	Data matching with administrative and other data sets 3 - high challenge
Ensuring consistency, quality and reliability in your data	Ensuring consistency, quality and reliability in your data 0 - don't know	Ensuring consistency, quality and reliability in your data 1 - minor challenge	Ensuring consistency, quality and reliability in your data 2 - moderate challenge	Ensuring consistency, quality and reliability in your data 3 - high challenge
Dealing with different data ownership and access rights	Dealing with different data ownership and access rights 0 - don't know	Dealing with different data ownership and access rights 1 - minor challenge	Dealing with different data ownership and access rights 2 - moderate challenge	Dealing with different data ownership and access rights 3 - high challenge

Any comments or other challenges? Please explain.

Research ethics

Question Title

* 3. What aspects of research ethics do you find most challenging or would like more information about?

	0 - don't know	1 - minor challenge	2 - moderate challenge	3 - high challenge
Obtaining ethical clearance	Obtaining ethical clearance 0 - don't know	Obtaining ethical clearance 1 - minor challenge	Obtaining ethical clearance 2 - moderate challenge	Obtaining ethical clearance 3 - high challenge
Adapting informed consent procedures to local environments	Adapting informed consent procedures to local environments 0 - don't know	Adapting informed consent procedures to local environments 1 - minor challenge	Adapting informed consent procedures to local environments 2 - moderate challenge	Adapting informed consent procedures to local environments 3 - high challenge
Informed consent processes for children	Informed consent processes for children 0 - don't know	Informed consent processes for children 1 - minor challenge	Informed consent processes for children 2 - moderate challenge	Informed consent processes for children 3 - high challenge
Safeguarding issues - protecting the health and mental health of researchers and participants	Safeguarding issues - protecting the health and mental health of researchers and participants 0 - don't know	Safeguarding issues - protecting the health and mental health of researchers and participants 1 - minor challenge	Safeguarding issues - protecting the health and mental health of researchers and participants 2 - moderate challenge	Safeguarding issues - protecting the health and mental health of researchers and participants 3 - high challenge
Managing power dynamics and expectations	Managing power dynamics and expectations 0 - don't know	Managing power dynamics and expectations 1 - minor challenge	Managing power dynamics and expectations 2 - moderate challenge	Managing power dynamics and expectations 3 - high challenge
Ensuring reciprocity in the research process	Ensuring reciprocity in the research process 0 - don't know	Ensuring reciprocity in the research process 1 - minor challenge	Ensuring reciprocity in the research process 2 - moderate challenge	Ensuring reciprocity in the research process 3 - high challenge
Dealing with the unexpected, e.g. discovering protection concerns	Dealing with the unexpected, e.g. discovering protection concerns 0 - don't know	Dealing with the unexpected, e.g. discovering protection concerns 1 - minor challenge	Dealing with the unexpected, e.g. discovering protection concerns 2 - moderate challenge	Dealing with the unexpected, e.g. discovering protection concerns 3 - high challenge

Any comments or other challenges? Please explain.

Research design and methodology

Question Title

* 4. How would you rate the different challenges around designing longitudinal research in LMICs?

	0 - don't know	1 - minor challenge	2 - moderate challenge	3 - high challenge
Choosing disciplinary perspectives – epistemological, theoretical and conceptual	Choosing disciplinary perspectives – epistemological, theoretical and conceptual 0 - don't know	Choosing disciplinary perspectives – epistemological, theoretical and conceptual 1 - minor challenge	Choosing disciplinary perspectives – epistemological, theoretical and conceptual 2 - moderate challenge	Choosing disciplinary perspectives – epistemological, theoretical and conceptual 3 - high challenge
Designing surveys and instruments (validity, copyright, format, etc)	Designing surveys and instruments (validity, copyright, format, etc) 0 - don't know	Designing surveys and instruments (validity, copyright, format, etc) 1 - minor challenge	Designing surveys and instruments (validity, copyright, format, etc) 2 - moderate challenge	Designing surveys and instruments (validity, copyright, format, etc) 3 - high challenge
Managing and reducing attrition	Managing and reducing attrition 0 - don't know	Managing and reducing attrition 1 - minor challenge	Managing and reducing attrition 2 - moderate challenge	Managing and reducing attrition 3 - high challenge
Keeping up with technology and innovation in data gathering	Keeping up with technology and innovation in data gathering 0 - don't know	Keeping up with technology and innovation in data gathering 1 - minor challenge	Keeping up with technology and innovation in data gathering 2 - moderate challenge	Keeping up with technology and innovation in data gathering 3 - high challenge
Consistency and quality control across survey rounds, sites and countries	Consistency and quality control across survey rounds, sites and countries 0 - don't know	Consistency and quality control across survey rounds, sites and countries 1 - minor challenge	Consistency and quality control across survey rounds, sites and countries 2 - moderate challenge	Consistency and quality control across survey rounds, sites and countries 3 - high challenge
Managing different cultural expectations and contexts	Managing different cultural expectations and contexts 0 - don't know	Managing different cultural expectations and contexts 1 - minor challenge	Managing different cultural expectations and contexts 2 - moderate challenge	Managing different cultural expectations and contexts 3 - high challenge

Any comments or other challenges? Please explain.

Additional information

Question Title

* 5. What forms of learning materials do you find most useful?

Short videos (3-4 minutes)

Long videos (10+ minutes)

Blogs

Infographics or animations

Literature reviews

Briefing notes

In-person meetings or events

Other (please specify)

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Question Title

* 6. Contact information

Your name

Your organisation

Your email address

Question Title

* 7. What type of organisation do you work for?

Academia

Government

Policy think tank

NGO/INGO/Civil society

UN or Multilateral

Media

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 8. If you are not already on the Young Lives mailing list, would you like to be added to this to receive occasional updates about our research? (Please ensure you've entered your email address above, if so!)

Yes

Thank you very much for your participation. Feedback will be incorporated into future activities and resources to be published on the Young Lives website (www.younglives.org.uk). Please visit the site or contact us at: younglives@qeh.ox.ac.uk to stay informed.