A Content Analysis of the Methods Used to Study Emerging Adults in Six Developmental Journals From 2013 to 2015

A content analysis of 2,050 papers published in six leading developmental journals from 2013 to 2015 was conducted to assess methods used in research on 18- to 29-year-olds. Of the 1,713 empirical studies examined, 8.6% included participants exclusively within that age range, and an additional 16.9% included such participants as part of a larger sample. In studies using samples exclusively aged 18–29, the most common methodologies were longitudinal (32.7%) and cross-sectional (31.8%) designs, followed by qualitative (17.6%) and mixed methods (10.1%). Around a quarter (25.7%) of the studies recruited samples from outside the United States. In around one third (34.9%) of U.S. studies, a majority of the sample represented traditionally underrepresented groups (race/ethnicity other than White/Caucasian). Approximately 44% of studies involved recruitment from colleges or universities. The most common stated study limitations involved use of a college sample, being limited to a particular region, and limitations due to ethnicity/race