Special Issue: Innovating Qualitative Research in Gerontology
Co-Editors: Sean N. Halpin, PhD, FGSA; Tracie C. Harrison, PhD, FGSA; Angela K. Perone, PhD, JD, MSW, MA; Natalie D. Pope, PhD, MSW; Abby J. Schwartz, PhD, MSW, MGS, FGSA
Qualitative methods have long been foundational to gerontological research, offering insights into the lived experiences, social contexts, and structural conditions that shape aging. At the same time, researchers are increasingly challenged to adapt qualitative approaches to address evolving populations, ethical considerations, technologies, and research environments. Building on recent editorial perspectives published in Innovation in Aging that highlight the importance of methodological innovation in qualitative gerontological research (Halpin et al., 2026), the journal invites submissions to a special issue focused on innovative uses of qualitative methods in research involving older adults, including, but not limited to, studies situated within care, service, or policy contexts relevant to aging.
This special issue seeks to advance methodological scholarship by highlighting studies that move beyond standard applications of qualitative methods and instead demonstrate clear innovation in qualitative research design, data collection, analysis, or engagement with older adult populations. Submissions should explicitly describe how the qualitative approach advances existing methodological practice within gerontology.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, research papers on:
- Innovative approaches to recruiting and engaging older adults in qualitative research, including hard-to-reach or underrepresented populations.
- Novel or adapted qualitative interviewing techniques tailored to older adults (e.g., cognitive, linguistic, or technological considerations).
- Creative or emerging methods of qualitative data generation, such as visual, digital, participatory, or arts-based approaches.
- Methodological innovations in qualitative data analysis, including analytic frameworks, reflexive practices, or team-based strategies.
- Ethical innovations in qualitative research with older adults, including consent processes, relational ethics, and power-sharing approaches.
- Integrative designs that embed qualitative methods, implementation science, or translational research in innovative ways.
- Methodological reflections or empirical studies that advance rigor, transparency, and trustworthiness in qualitative gerontological research.
- We welcome manuscripts from diverse disciplinary perspectives using a range of qualitative approaches on topics and areas that align with Innovation in Aging’s aims and scope.
How to Submit
Manuscripts should be prepared according to the journal’s Instructions to Authors. Submit your manuscript through the ScholarOne online submission system for Innovation in Aging.
In some cases, the journal’s editorial team may offer authors the option to transfer their manuscript to another GSA journal to ensure it is considered in the most suitable venue. If the author accepts this offer, the manuscript files will be transferred to the appropriate journal via the submission system. Submissions will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process. A limited number of Open Access waivers will be available for articles published in this special issue.
For any questions, please contact the editorial office.
Manuscript submissions due
August 31, 2026
Issue completion date (expected)
August 2027
Reference
Halpin, S. N., Harrison, T. C., Perone, A. K., Pope, N. D., & Schwartz, A. J. (2026). Qualitative research in gerontology: rigor, legacy, and the next wave of innovation. Innovation in Aging, 10(1), igaf140. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf140
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