סוגיות מתודולוגיות במחקר השוואתי בין מדינות: מחקר אואזיס

The goal of this article is to discuss main methodological issues in cross-national research in general, and in the Oasis project in particular. Even though cross-national research is presented as important such comparative studies in gerontology are sparse, because of methodological difficulties inherent in such a type of research. The main methodological issues presented in the literature include: equivalence of meaning, concept equivalence and intercultural variability. The Oasis model and research design are presented and used to illustrate how the above issues were encountered. Furthermore, the four major research instruments used in the Oasis study are described and discussed. These include: The Intergenerational Solidarity scales, Ambivalence scale, SF-12 for functional status and the WHOQOL-BREF to measure quality of life. Conclusions and recommendations for future cross-national collaboration are presented.