ABSTRACT
Data are the essence of what second language researchers work with, but the question of where data come from is a complex one. In this chapter, we deal with some common issues in data collection. We point out that what we have selected here to discuss is only a very small number of data-collection methods. We further point out that many, although not all, second language research methods have their origins in research methods from other disciplines, notably linguistics, child language acquisition, soci - ology, and psychology. It is also important to be aware of the fact that particular research questions will often lead to a particular research methodology. In other words, data collection methodologies can only be understood in the context of the research questions being posed. We begin this discussion with a general issue, that of longitudinal versus cross-sectional data.
