Research Methodological Challenges and Recommendations for Conducting a Comparative Qualitative Longitudinal Study Across Two Countries on Different Continents

Abstract

A qualitative longitudinal study has become the preferred methodology for many researchers who are interested in documenting changes as the focus of analysis. Debates on appropriate qualitative longitudinal designs and methodological models are actively ongoing. The choice of methodological models to fit into a qualitative longitudinal design will depend on the objectives of the study. Many researchers have also reported on the use of qualitative longitudinal study, in particular on the challenges in study design, data collection, and data analysis. In the researcher’s review of the relevant literature, however, the researcher was unable to locate the use of a qualitative longitudinal methodology to study the same phenomenon comparatively across two countries on different continents. This article, therefore, adds to the current understanding of qualitative longitudinal study through the discussion of methods and recommendations for conducting a comparative qualitative longitudinal study across two countries on different continents. This article discusses the research methodological challenges and recommendations, as well as lessons learned, upon completion of a doctoral study in 2016. As not many researchers have undertaken a comparative qualitative longitudinal approach in a doctoral study, it is worth sharing with researchers who are planning a similar methodology what they could expect and should be prepared for.