Journal of Prevention
Temporal Data Structure Is Not Causal Identification: A Practical Framework for Appraising Causal Claims in Prevention and Population Health Research
Abstract Temporal data structure is not an identification strategy. In manuscript review and reporting, cross-sectional and longitudinal labels are sometimes used as shorthand for judging whether causal claims are appropriate. Whether a causal claim is credible depends on the effect being considered, what makes the comparison informative, what assumptions are required, and whether the analysis and supporting evidence address the main threats. We define temporal data structure as the temporal and sampling organizati …