Blackwell Reference Online

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For many inquiries in the field of communication research, the analysis of change is of great value. Classic diffusion research in the communication sciences deals with the diffusion of information in society, and it is important to know the dynamics of the diffusion process, as well as the factors that influence it (→  Diffusion of Information and Innovation ). Media research considers media effects mostly as individual changes caused by media content. Therefore, methods that allow the analysis of these changes are of particular importance in communication research. There is a fundamental distinction between cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies. In the case of cross-sectional studies, a →  Survey is conducted only once. Longitudinal studies, on the other hand, are those studies in which the same survey is conducted several times at certain intervals. Only this second type of study allows for a dynamic approach, a longitudinal analysis. There are two distinct types of longitudinal analysis: trend studies and panel studies. The difference between these two types of surveys is that a trend study employs different respondents with each survey, while a panel study implies the use of the same respondents each time for a multiple survey. In other words, a trend study employs a new sample for each measuring time, while a panel study employs the same sample over a series of ... log in or subscribe to read full text