Untangling the Meanings of Justice: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

This article explores the application of prospective and retrospective elements of enquiry at different time points in longitudinal mixed methods research. It discusses how the method facilitates shifts in the dominance of quantitative and qualitative approaches and focuses attention on change and on interpretation. The article presents exploratory research designed to untangle different meanings of justice from the perspective of men and women who have been victims of violence and who then became involved in a criminal justice process. Both individual- and group-level analyses are used to show justice as a multidimensional phenomenon that unfolds and opens in context as well as over time. However, how best to report complex findings from longitudinal mixed methods research remains a challenge.