ABSTRACT
It has been over a decade since the field of SLA began reconfiguring its approach to researching ID variables in a more situated, dynamic manner. This chapter reviews CDST methodological tools and research methods whose underlying premise is that IDs are interconnected and interact with the environment while also developing and varying through time. The chapter begins by examining the complex systems view and associated principles and assumptions underlying CDST research methods. It then introduces quantitative and qualitative methods with a review of technical details related to data elicitation and analysis. After a discussion of these methods and their contributions to IDs in SLA research, the chapter pivots to exploring ways that CDST methods will continue to be developed and refined as the field employs them to study complex interconnectedness, dynamism on multiple timescales, and nonlinear development of IDs.
