what is cross sectional research
A cross-sectional study involves looking at people who differ on one key characteristic (such as age) at one specific point in time. The data is collected at the same time from people who are similar on other characteristics but different on a key factor of interest such as age, income levels and geographic locations.
This type of research differs from longitudinal studies in that cross-sectional studies are designed to look at a variable at a particular point in time. Longitudinal studies involve taking multiple measures over an extended period while cross-sectional research focuses on looking at variables at a given point in time.