Change Through Time: A Methodological Framework for Longitudinal Discursive Research

The aim of this paper is to introduce a novel methodological framework for the practice of longitudinal discursive research (LDR). Building on discursive psychology (DP), LDR provides a framework for analysing how discourse both enacts and responds to social and political change. We illustrate the approach by outlining a study of broadcast political debates in 2019, analysing how the construction of key Brexit issues evolved as the United Kingdom left the European Union. We explore how the social constructionist orientation of DP lends itself to a flexible conceptualisation of ‘change’ and ‘time’ that is well-suited for longitudinal analysis. We then present an eight-step guide for conducting LDR and demonstrate the value of analysing how talk shapes and is shaped by ongoing social and political processes. The paper offers insight into the (re)production of shifting social discourses, providing a framework for psychologists and social researchers seeking to explore change across time in contexts such as political debate, social movements, or technological and cultural transformation.