Challenges to tracking subjects for follow-up research: a case study

This narrative presents issues faced by the author and her research assistants in attempting to locate 40 subjects who had participated in a child welfare research study two decades earlier. The experience of the researchers suggests that attempting to locate subjects, especially where contact has not been maintained over the years, may not be accomplished without considerable time and expense. The author reflects on possible contributors to the difficulties in contacting these participants, highlights some recent developments in techniques for locating subjects after long periods of time have elapsed, and discusses some relevant ethical dilemmas.