title: Exposing the Backstage: Critical Reflections on a Longitudinal Qualitative Study of Residents' Care Networks in Assisted Living.
abstract: In this article, we analyze the research experiences associated with a longitudinal qualitative study of residents' care networks in assisted living. Using data from researcher meetings, field notes, and memos, we critically examine our design and decision making and accompanying methodological implications. We focus on one complete wave of data collection involving 28 residents and 114 care network members in four diverse settings followed for 2 years. We identify study features that make our research innovative, but that also represent significant challenges. They include the focus and topic; settings and participants; scope and design complexity; nature, modes, frequency, and duration of data collection; and analytic approach. Each feature has methodological implications, including benefits and challenges pertaining to recruitment, retention, data collection, quality, and management, research team work, researcher roles, ethics, and dissemination. Our analysis demonstrates the value of our approach and of reflecting on and sharing methodological processes for cumulative knowledge building.
authors.affiliation: 1 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Candace L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.affiliation: 2 Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Mary M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.affiliation: 1 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer Craft
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: 3 Brightview Senior Living, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: 1 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Elisabeth O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.affiliation: 1 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Joy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dillard
authors.affiliation: 1 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Christina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Barmon
authors.affiliation: 1 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Fitzroy
authors.affiliation: 1 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Victoria E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Helmly
authors.affiliation: 1 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Avent
authors.affiliation: 2 Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.|4 Birmingham/Atlanta Veterna's Affairs Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Molly M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Perkins
mesh_terms: D040561:Assisted Living Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003219:Confidentiality; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D032984:Ethics, Research; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D024382:Professional Role; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design
keywords: caregivers / caretaking; ethnography; families; grounded theory; long-term health care; longitudinal studies; southeastern United States