McAllister William author Columbia University. Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy Lennon Mary Clare author Columbia University. Sociomedical Sciences Kuang Li author Columbia University. Sociomedical Sciences Columbia University. Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy originator text Articles 2011 English In homelessness research and policymaking, it seems to be axiomatic that single adults experience 3 temporally based types of homelessness: chronic, episodic, and transitional. We discuss problems with the theorization of this typology and with the research design, data analysis, and time-aggregated conceptualization and measurement of temporality in the empirical work supporting the typology. To address the latter, we suggest a time-patterned approach to temporality and report a 10-group typology that differs significantly from the more familiar 3-group typology. We argue that which approach is used—and how typologies are developed more generally—should be based on theory and the uses to which typologies are put rather than on claims to being more true. Social research 101 4 596 601 2011-04 10.2105/AJPH.2010.300074 http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:14209 NNC NNC 2012-07-23 15:40:24 -0400 2012-07-23 15:46:49 -0400 8216 eng