The return of the researcher: the methodological challenges of a follow-up study

Purpose The aim of this paper is to advance understanding of the methodological challenges involved in conducting a “follow-up” study. This article provides reflections on the reality of conducting such studies, documenting the researcher’s personal experiences and reflections on returning to interview the same sample of leaders over a 24-year period. Design/methodology/approach The empirical foundation is based on the lead author’s personal experience of conducting interviews with the same sample of leaders in 1997, 2007 and 2021 using a phenomenological, qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews. A temporal analysis was conducted (as past, present and future perspectives changed across waves), which required careful chronological mapping of events and changes for each participant over the 24 years. Findings The study reveals key challenges that are amplified in follow-up research compared to standard longitudinal designs. These include maintaining consistency while adapting to changed contexts, managing complex, temporally layered data and navigating evolved researcher–participant relationships. The findings are synthesised into the 4C Framework of follow-up inquiry: consistency, contextualisation, complexity and connectivity. Originality/value While guidelines exist for conducting longitudinal qualitative research, reflexive accounts documenting the lived experience of follow-up studies are rare. This paper provides an honest account of the unique challenges researchers face when returning to study the same participants after an extended interval. The resulting 4C Framework offers practical guidance to researchers and represents the main contribution of this study.