The GoLDen Method: Venturing a Long-Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study of Identity Development

As the field of identity research matures and deepens, it is crucial that we engage methodological approaches that fully capture the theoretical richness of identity outlined by Erikson and others. The purpose of the current article is to describe the lessons learned and insights gained through the Gothenburg Longitudinal Study of Development (GoLD), a 38-year long-longitudinal mixed methods study of development conducted in Sweden. The article is divided into three major sections. First, we provide a brief overview of the history, development, and rationale of the GoLD study. Second, we offer an extended discussion of the interplay between practical and conceptual considerations when conducting a long-longitudinal study. Finally, we close by describing the unique methodological and analytic opportunities afforded by conducting a long-longitudinal mixed methods study of identity development. We hope that this article will encourage other researchers to venture a long-longitudinal study of their own.