The World population is aging and, consequently, understanding late adulthood and aging processes is a major scientific priority. Research in this segment of the life is particularly challenging: the lifespan approach, necessary for thorough aging investigations, implies theoretical multidisciplinary and methodological multivariate perspectives; variability during aging is particularly high compared to previous life phases; study designs must account for specific predicaments (such as confound between age, cohort, and time of measurement; selective study participation and attrition; assumed age-invariance of measurements; retest effects). Furthermore, promising methods for data analysis develop on a daily basis, requiring continuous technical training. I will discuss some of these challenges, summarize extant potential solutions, and touch on some ethical and broader social responsibility issues.

世界人口正在老龄化，因此，了解成年晚期和衰老过程是一项重要的科学优先事项。生命这一部分的研究尤其具有挑战性：彻底的衰老研究所必需的寿命方法意味着理论的多学科和方法论的多元视角；与之前的生命阶段相比，衰老过程中的变异性特别高；研究设计必须考虑到特定的困境（例如年龄、队列和测量时间之间的混淆；选择性研究参与和自然流失；假设测量的年龄不变性；重新测试效果）。此外，有前途的数据分析方法每天都在发展，需要持续的技术培训。我将讨论其中一些挑战，总结现有的潜在解决方案，并讨论一些道德和更广泛的社会责任问题。