Guest Editorial: Methodological Issues in Longitudinal Analyses of Criminal Violence

Abstract

This guest editorial introduces the Focus Section on Methodological Issues in Longitudinal Analyses of Criminal Violence. Longitudinal designs offer distinctive advantages for purposes of making causal inferences with observational data, but significant challenges must be confronted as well. This editorial highlights some of the more important methodological issues that arise, describes in general terms selected approaches for dealing with them, and indicates how the papers included in this focus section skilfully apply methodological techniques for longitudinal analyses to address substantively important issues pertaining to criminal violence.

Keywords

• research design
• longitudinal analyses
• quantitative methods