noun phrase · academic
cross-sectional study
UK/ˌkrɒsˈsekʃənəl ˈstʌdi/US/ˌkrɔːsˈsekʃənəl ˈstʌdi/cross·SEC·tion·al STU·dy
a study that compares different groups at a single point in time
Examples
“The researchers used a cross-sectional study to compare diet habits across age groups.”
“Cross-sectional studies are quicker and cheaper than longitudinal ones.”
“One limitation of a cross-sectional study is it cannot prove causality.”
Band 8 sentence
“While a cross-sectional study can suggest associations, it cannot determine which factor came first.”
Collocations
- conduct a cross-sectional study
- cross-sectional data
Word family
Common mistakes
cross section study→cross-sectional study
sectional study→cross-sectional study
Say it for a higher band
5snapshot study→6cross section survey→7+cross-sectional study
Synonyms
snapshot study
Easily confused
longitudinal study
“Unlike a cross-sectional study, a longitudinal study measures the same participants repeatedly.”
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In Science & Research
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