Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
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studies"may"offer"advantages"in"minimising"CMV"and"maximising"ability"for"CI,"<br />
cross]sectional" approaches" are" adequate" in" many" situations." Specifically," they"<br />
suggest"that"cross]sectional"studies"may"be"most"appropriate"for"highly"educated"<br />
respondents,"concrete"constructs,"diverse"arrays"of"measurement"formats/scales"<br />
and"studies"rooted"in"theory."In"contrast,"longitudinal"studies"are"suggested"to"be"<br />
more" appropriate" where" the" temporal" nature" of" phenomena" is" clear," where"<br />
alternative" explanations" (are" likely" and)" cannot" be" controlled" for" in" a" cross]<br />
sectional" study" and," importantly" in" the" present" study," where" it" is" unlikely" that"<br />
intervening"events"(e.g."business"churn)"could"confound"a"follow]up"(Rindfleisch"<br />
et" al.," 2008)." Specifically," comparing" repeated' cross]sectional" and" longitudinal"<br />
designs,"Yee"and"Neimeier"(1996)"also"highlight"the"increased"statistical"power"<br />
of" a" longitudinal" study" over" repeated" cross]sectional" surveys" (partly" since" you"<br />
can"analyse"‘within"subjects’)."<strong>The</strong>y"also"point"to"the"likelihood"of"cross]sectional"<br />
designs"being"preferable"where"it"is"more"cost]effective"to"resample"many"new"<br />
subjects"rather"than"repeatedly"sample"the"same"group"(which"could"be"the"case"<br />
in"a"face]to]face"survey"where"respondents"tend"to"disperse"between"waves"thus"<br />
increasing"fieldwork"costs)."<br />
! !<br />
Choice'of'approach'in'the'CSJS/CSJPS'<br />
<strong>The</strong>" CSJS" was" a" repeated" cross]sectional" survey," conducted" in" 2001," 2004" and"<br />
continuously"from"2006]2009. 32 "In"2010"the"CSJS"evolved"into"the"CSJPS,"moving"<br />
from" a" cross]sectional" to" longitudinal" panel" design" (see" Pleasence" et" al." 2011)."<br />
<strong>The</strong>" rationale" for" this" change" was" to" address" research" questions" that" were"<br />
proving"difficult"with"the"cross]sectional"design."Key"among"these"was"the"ability"<br />
to" see" problems" from" start" to" end" (and" beyond)," to" more" accurately" measure"<br />
actions" and" consequences." With" the" cross]sectional" design," many" problems"<br />
remained"on]going"at"the"time"of"interview"(around"45%),"making"it"difficult"to"<br />
assess"whether"actions"and"(lack"of)"consequences,"for"example,"were"simply"a"<br />
result"of"a"problem"being"in"its"early"stages 33 .""<br />
"<br />
Advantages"of"a"longitudinal"approach"were"seen"to"include:"<br />
1. Greater"potential"to"order"life"events."<br />
2. Full" history" of" problems" and" consequences" (eventually)" being"<br />
determinable."<br />
3. More"options"for"exploring"causation.""<br />
4. Comparisons"over"time"being"based"on"the"same"sample.""<br />
5. Follow]ups"allowing"for"the"possibility"of"experimentation."<br />
"<br />
Disadvantages"of"a"longitudinal"approach"were"seen"to"include:"<br />
1. In"the"case"of"the"CSJPS,"a"smaller"sample"size"than"cross]sectional"survey."<br />
2. In"the"case"of"the"CSJPS,"a"different"reference"period"from"earlier"surveys."<br />
3. New"questionnaires"at"follow]up"being"resource"intensive."<br />
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
32"Other"surveys"in"the"Paths"to"Justice/Causes"of"Action"tradition"also"followed"a"cross]sectional"format."<br />
33"This"is"likely"to"be"compounded"by"inevitable"memory"effects"(see"Pleasence,"Balmer"&"Tam,"2008)."<br />
! 52!