This Page was adapted from the Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper guide done by Dr. Robert V. Labaree from the Von KleinSmid Center Library for International and Public Affairs at USC.
Definition and Purpose
Often used in the medical sciences, but also found in the applied social sciences, a cohort study generally refers to a study conducted over a period of time involving members of a population which the subject or representative member comes from, and who are united by some commonality or similarity. Using a quantitative framework, a cohort study makes note of statistical occurrence within a specialized subgroup, united by same or similar characteristics that are relevant to the research problem being investigated, rather than studying statistical occurrence within the general population. Using a qualitative framework, cohort studies generally gather data using methods of observation. Cohorts can be either "open" or "closed."
What do these studies tell you?
What these studies don't tell you?