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	Longitudinal Explanatory Research	Panelstudier
Ämnesområde	Forskningsdesign	Forskningsdesign
Familj	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Ursprungsår	1970s–1990s (formal methodological codification)	1970s-1980s (econometric formalization); earlier social survey use from 1940s
Upphovsperson	Rooted in panel and longitudinal survey traditions; systematised by Scott Menard and others in the late 20th century	Social science and econometric traditions; systematized by Cheng Hsiao and others from the 1970s-1980s
Typ	Quantitative observational research design	Quantitative longitudinal observational design
Ursprungskälla	Menard, S. (2002). Longitudinal Research (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. ISBN: 978-0761922452	Hsiao, C. (2003). Analysis of Panel Data (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 978-0521522717
Alias	explanatory longitudinal design, longitudinal causal research, explanatory panel study, longitudinal explanatory study	panel study, panel survey, longitudinal panel, repeated-measures panel
Närliggande	4	3
Sammanfattning	Longitudinal explanatory research combines repeated measurement over time with an explicit aim of explaining why and how variables change or influence one another. Unlike purely descriptive longitudinal designs, the explanatory orientation tests causal or predictive hypotheses by examining temporal precedence — a key criterion for causal inference in non-experimental settings. It is widely used in social, behavioral, educational, and health sciences to disentangle cause from correlation.	Panel research is a quantitative longitudinal design in which the same individuals, organizations, or other units are measured repeatedly across two or more time points. Unlike cross-sectional surveys that capture a single snapshot, a panel tracks change within units, enabling researchers to separate genuine within-unit change from between-unit differences and to model causal dynamics over time.