A dialogue between research, politics, administration and the general public: an interview with Paul Bradshaw, Rainer Bromme, John Bynner, Manfred Egner, Harvey Goldstein and Alexander Renner

The interrelations between research, politics, administration and the general public are highly complex. In longitudinal research it might be especially necessary to focus on this relationship in more detail, as scientifically profound analyses regarding the development, processes, and transitions in life courses often require large, representative, carefully drawn, diligently tracked, and surveyed samples of participants. Therefore, longitudinal research needs persistent engagement of researchers, substantial and reliable funding, and a long-term commitment of participants. This paper is structured as an interview with experts from different areas and aims to contribute to the process of further fostering the discussion of the interplay between research, politics, administration and the general public.