Underused Methods in Developmental Science to Inform Policy and Practice

In this article, we offer recommendations for underused innovations and advances in research methods to enhance the quality of developmental science research. We couch our recommendations in terms of measurement innovations, design innovations, and analytic advances. We discuss six methods—the visual analog scale, the retrospective pretest–posttest design, appropriate timing and units of change, the accelerated longitudinal design, missing data treatments, and integrative data analysis. We conclude by encouraging developmental scientists to continue to incorporate advances and innovations in methods as they address the essential questions surrounding our goal to understand and improve the human condition across the life span.