Glossary Term
Retrospective
A retrospective study is a type of longitudinal study that analyzes past data to examine suspected factors in relation to an established outcome. These studies are useful when large sets of high-quality data are available, but can be hindered by incomplete or sloppy records. While easily manipulated, retrospective studies can provide valuable insights into the relationships between variables. For example, a study by Chang et al. investigated changes in muscle size and their correlation with a history of chronic plantar fasciitis.
Retrospective: a type of longitudinal study that looks backwards over a set of data to examine suspected factors in relation to an outcome that is established at the start of the study.
- These studies are incredibly beneficial when large sets of high-quality data are available that can be analyzed for trends.
- Unfortunately, these studies cannot be better than the data set that is being used (for example, incomplete or sloppy medical records would hinder analysis). Further, this type of research can be easily manipulated, either intentionally or unintentionally.
For example, in this study by Chang et al., changes in muscle size were investigated and correlated with a history of chronic plantar fasciitis (1).
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Synonyms
- Retrospective Analysis
- Historical Study
- Historic Cohort Study
- Backward-Looking Study